


Facing the Past (rewrite)

by TheDeadlySpacePirate19



Series: Facing the Trilogy [1]
Category: Five Nights at Freddy's
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Plus some other minor original characters, fnaf trilogy, lots of original character ghost children, prepare for a story that does not relate with the lore of the games, the start of it all
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-23
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-05-16 22:51:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 106,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19327726
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheDeadlySpacePirate19/pseuds/TheDeadlySpacePirate19
Summary: When Mike took the job as nightguard, he expected to just be reunited with the robotic friends of his past. He did not expect to be flung in the middle of a bloody game where the end goal is his own death. Mike isn't one to go down easily though. He knows there is more to the story than meets the eye and is willing to stick his nose where it probably doesn't belong until the truth is revealed. There is a family at stake, his family, and Mike will do anything to see his loved one safe and happy, no matter how far he has to dig into the Fazbear company's dark past.





	1. The Start of it All

**Author's Note:**

> This here is a rewrite of my fnaf trilogy from fanfiction.net. Whether you are new to my story or not, I hope you enjoy this. I will warn you now, this was originally written way back in 2015. Since then there has been a lot of lore revealed in the main games and I just do not have the time to add them into my story. So, I hope you are all okay with a fnaf story that has almost nothing to do with the complicated plot of the main games. Either way, sit back and enjoy the remake of Facing the Past! There will be much more to come in the future.
> 
> This is only the start of the trilogy kiddos! Prepare for a lot of emotions!

Mike Schmidt ran nervous fingers through his curly brown locks as he stood outside the doors of the pizzeria. He gulped as he peeked through the glass doors on the inside. What he saw was the cleaning crew doing last minute work around the place. Some were sweeping along the floor, others were stacking chairs on top of the table, and there was one bagging the last of the garbage. Mike watched them do their thing for a moment before he took a steady breath to calm himself down. Once he felt he had a hold of his emotions, he pressed his palms to the door and pushed.

The sound of a bell ringing let the workers inside know of Mike’s presence, each of them instantly stopped what they were doing to turn their heads in the younger man’s direction. All of them wore the same blank expression, not letting the slightest hint of emotion grace their feature. Mike would be lying if he said he wasn’t disturbed by the monotone faces of the cleanup crew.

“Uh…hi?” he tried, waving at them. They just stared for a few more seconds before returning to work without a sound or response, they even looked like they were working faster now that they got a good look at newly hired nightguard. Mike blinked in confusion, not sure how to respond to their odd actions. “Um…okay?”

“Mike!”

The man turned away from the cleanup crew and saw a pudgy, round, old man walking up to him. He gave a crooked smile that was slightly hidden by a grey beard, as he spread open his arms just as he was by Mike’s side. “Oof-“ Mike puffed out when the old man wrapped him in a quick hug before pulling back and patting him on the back. “Mr. Fazbear. Nice to see you again, sir.”

Mr. Fazbear chuckled. “Likewise, Mr. Schmidt.” The old man gently started to guide him through the building, around the cleanup crew. “Anyways, I’m so glad to see you arrived early as I suggested.”

Mike gave a nod, looking around the main showroom of the pizzeria. “U-uh, yeah. Well I figured it would be best to listen to my new boss’s suggestion on my first day, ya know?”

Mr. Fazbear gave a gentle laugh in return. “Smart, lad. Smart. Nice to see I hired a guy with a good head on his shoulders.”

Mike smiled at the compliment just as he took notice of the décor of the room. The entire showroom was lined with round tables. Normally they would be covered in a white tablecloth, but Mike figured the crew folded them up for the night. Littering the walls of the room were crudely drawn pictures made by children. Some of them featured self-made portraits of the kids who drew the pictures, others were drawings of the same bear in a black top-hat, a yellow chicken with a bib, and a purple bunny with a guitar. Mike couldn’t help but smile fondly at the pictures, thinking how nice it is that the employees even bothered to keep the children’s drawings on the walls like this in the firsts place.

Turning to look to his right, Mike instantly took notice of a prize counter. Hanging up in rows were stuffed plushies of the same animals the children would draw as well as other types of toys for kids to win. Mike spent a bit longer staring at each prize, hoping to see a toy that may represent a particular animal he has yet to see signs of, but to his disappointment, he didn’t find what he was looking for. He turned his attention back to his new boss just in time to see they were approaching a stage that was lined with purple curtains with white stars.

Standing in the center of the stage were the very animatronic animals that themed this pizzeria, Freddy Fazbear, Bonnie the Bunny, and Chica the Chicken. The three of them all stood still on the stage, each of their heads hung low and eyes shut. “Wow…” Mike couldn’t help but whisper out as he got a good look at the animatronics, catching Mr. Fazbear’s attention. “There they are.”

Mr. Fazbear looked over at his animatronics before back at Mike. “Yep…” there was a shift in his tone, something much more resigned, but Mike didn’t bother to pay it much mind. “Actually, I’m glad you brought them up, Michael because I should tell you about these three.”

“Oh no need,” Mike chuckled. “I know all about Freddy and the gang.”

Mr. Fazbear eyed his new employee. “Do you now?” He went to straighten his tie, taking a quick glance at his watch.

“Oh yeah.” Mike gave a smile as he unintentionally stepped closer. “I used to come here a lot when I was younger. I think around 12 or so. I loved coming over here as a kid all the time. One of my favorite things to do actually.”

Mr. Fazbear didn’t respond back at first, eyeing the new employee from the corner of his eye. He only looked away to take another glance at his watch. It read 11:45. He heard the front door open and close and both he and Mike turned to see the cleanup crew walk out without so much as a warning.

“Huh…they are…efficient, aren’t they?” Mike questioned, raising a brow.

“They…they get the job done,” Mr. Fazbear nodded. “Now, Mike, I do think I should tell you a bit more about your job.” He patted Mike on the back. “I understand you already know about…” he gestured with his free hand at the animatronics again, “them…but they still need to be watched over very carefully during the night shift, understand? They…” the old man gave a tired sigh. “Look my boy, just listen to the instructional tapes that are in your office and stay in that room the entire night, do you understand?”

“I…” Mike didn’t look fully pleased with the instructions but nodded his head and forced on a smile. “Of course, sir. Not a problem.”

Mr. Fazbear seemed pleased. “Good, now get in your office. Just on the other side of the building, you really can’t miss it. I’m gonna head out myself.” He started walking away from the younger man. “Starting tonight, this place will be all yours at night.”

Mike jumped at the words. “Wait, so I’m really the only night employee this place has? Just me…and,” a smile graced the young man’s lips, “the animatronics?”

Mr. Fazbear became stiff as he nervously messed with his keys. “Um…yeah. Just you, Mike. No one else.” He coughed in his hand, keeping his back to the employee. “Just follow instructions and you should be just fine. I’ll…I’ll see you around six in the morning.”

“See ya-“

In an instant, the lights around the room darkened as the lights were turned off and the front door opened and shut, Mr. Fazbear locking it in place on the other side.

Mike blinked at the odd behavior. He wanted to question it but seeing as his boss was already out of the restaurant, Mike decided it could wait till Mr. Fazbear returned in the morning. After a moment of staring out the glass door, the newly hired nightguard really started to take notice of the fact he was really alone in the building. Instead of being perturbed by the quiet, he just smiled wide and skipped over to the stage. He caught a glimpse of the time as he approached the tall robotic bear at the center. 11:50. Eh, ten minutes before his shift, and even then, who would really notice if Mike wasn’t promptly at his desk at 12?

So, with a giggle in his voice, Mike waved at the animatronics. “Freddy, guys! Hey!”

Silence followed after. The robotic animals not moving an inch or even cracking open an eye.

Mike felt his smile lower as he tried again. “Freddy? Bonnie? Chica?” He eyed each one as he called their names, hoping for just a smidgen of a response. They still remained stock still. “Oh, come on, guys. Don’t tell me you get shut off at night. Or maybe you are staying in character?” Mike stepped up to the stage, poking at Freddy’s arm. “Freddy, it’s me. Come on, Papa Bear. Mikey? Ring a bell? Little Mikey?”

The bear’s head stayed hung low and his eyes didn’t even twitch open.

Disappointment washed over the night guard as he watched the bear. He eyed the other two, but they also stayed as silent and still. “Guess you three really do get shut off at night. Damn…and here I thought I could talk to you. Hmm…maybe I can figure out how to switch you guys back on. I’m sure Mr. Fazbear wouldn’t mind…OH!”

A thought crossed Mike’s mind and in seconds he was backing away from the stage. “Maybe Captain Foxy is still up. I’ll go check on him.” He gave a wave to the animatronics in front of him. “I’ll be back later guys.” He grinned at them even if they weren’t up to see and ran off.

His footsteps faded away as he ran down the hall. Mike didn’t even take notice of the whirring noise the slowly vibrated around the room or the three heads that finally lifted. Three pairs of eyes also blinked open to watch the direction the young man left in.

Mike, meanwhile, quickly approached a room he knew too well, but was shocked by what he saw. The room itself was still there, but there was a closed door that blocked his path. A sign hung over the door, “Out of Order” it read. Mike turned up to see a dusty sign of “Pirate’s Cove” faded in color after many years.

“They still have this place closed? I would have thought they would have brought Foxy back in by now.” Mike questioned, testing the door. To his shock it was unlocked. He entered and saw the pirate themed room just as fun and colorful as he remembered, even though it was also closed when he would come in this room as a kid. Mike always did have special permission though, at least according to…”Captain Foxy!”

Mike jumped up on the stage, ignoring the purple curtain that tried to stop him in a futile attempt. He coughed when a layer of dust brushed against his face before pulling the curtain back.

“Yo! Foxy! It’s me! Your first matey, Mikey!” There, slouched over on the ground of the smaller stage was a fox animatronic. His fur was messy and ripped up, showing off how it was really just a cheaply made suit for the robotic endoskeleton underneath. Mike could make out Foxy’s metal legs much easier now, the fur almost missing completely and if it weren’t for his faded brown pants, all of the endoskeleton’s legs would be visible. Just like with the others, the fox’s eyes were shut, and head hung low. His jaw was open but also looked to be busted, the lower jaw hanging down wider than what looked natural. “Oh, not you too, Foxy? And jeez, what happened to you? You’ve seen better days, Captain.”

Mike stepped closer to the fox, running his fingers along the red fur. It was still soft to the touch, even if parts of the suit were tattered and knotted. Mike frowned at the poor condition the fox was in. This was definitely something he would try and fix while he was working here. Mike shrugged. He would be working for six hours by himself Mondays through Fridays now. Might as well take advantage of the spare time and fix up his friend.

“Don’t worry Foxy. I’ll figure something out to help you out later.” He stepped back from the stage, looking at his watch in the process. He squinted in the dark, but read he still had five more minutes until 12. “Well, might as well get to my office.” He gave a mock salute to the fox. “See ya later, Captain Foxy. First matey, Mikey needs to report to duty.” He chuckled at his own joke before running off again, leaving the door to Pirate’s Cove open.

The same whirring noise that came from the other animatronics came to life within the robotic fox. A paw twitch as golden eyes slid open. “M-mikey?”

 

* * *

 

Mike sighed as he plopped down on the chair to his new office. He took in his surroundings, seeing the desk piled on with empty paper cups and crushed up wads of paper. “Guess the cleanup crew doesn’t bother with this room…” Mike muttered, grabbing a trashcan under his desk and tossing some of the garbage inside.

He took notice of the computer on the desk and turned it on. The screen came to life, and Mike could see the security footage pull up, settling on Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica. The camera moved lazily from side to side. noticed buttons on the side of the screen, pressing them. As he did, the screen flickered from one camera footage to another. “So, this is how I keep track of the restaurant. Okay. Easy.” His gaze took notice of the battery symbol at the bottom corner of the screen and how it was already starting to lower. He remembered Mr. Fazbear mentioning in his interview how he would need to conserve power while working, which is why the lights should always remain off. “Oh yeah,” he muttered, turning the computer monitor off for a moment. “I’ll check on it again later.”

Mike spun around on his chair once, twice, getting a feel of his off. Everything seemed pretty simple. So once he was satisfied with everything, the night guard leaned back in his chair, propping his feet on the desk, right at the stroke of midnight.

The phone on the desk began to ring and Mike flinched, not expecting the noise. He eyed the device for a second before answering. “Uh, hello?”

“ _Hello, hello? Uh, I wanted to record a message for you-“_ A recording of a voice spoke out. Mike eyed the phone confused before he remembered his boss’s earlier words.

“Oh, this must be my instructional message.” Mike yawned, letting the voice go on. He listened in a bored manner, deciding to mess with the cameras even though he knew he needed to conserve the power. “Eh, how much power could the cameras really waste?”

Mike started to get the gist of everything within the first few lines of the recording. Previous worker, blah, blah, blah. Welcome to the job, blah, blah, blah.

“ _Upon discovering that damage or death has occurred, a missing person report will be filed within 90 days-_ “ Blah, blah…wait…?

Mike paled at the casual mention of death in the message. “What the hell was that about?!” He sat up straight in his seat, listening closely to the message.

“ _Now, that might sound bad, I know,”_ the recording continued on, “ _but there’s really nothing to worry about. Uh, the animatronic characters here do get a bit quirky at night.”_

Mike raised a brow at the word choice for his friends. “Quirky?”

The recording continued to talk about the animatronics, how they may be irritable at night, but how he couldn’t blame them really. Mike also learned they are indeed still active at night and even tend to walk around. “Weird, because they looked shut down to me.”

Then Mike heard something he really wasn’t expecting.

“ _Uh, they used to be allowed to walk around during the day too, but then there was The Bite of ’87. Yeah. I-It’s amazing that the human body can live without the frontal lobe, you know?”_

“I…hold it, what!?” Mike pressed the phone closer to his ear while also searching his memory of anything that could deal with this supposed “Bite” the phone-guy mentioned. Sure, Mike remembered when he was younger how Freddy and the others would always be on their stage no matter what, but Mike never figured it was due to something bad happening. “Jeez, how old was I in ’87 anyways? I don’t remember this at all?”

The Phone-guy continued talking before Mike had time to really process anymore about the Bite story. He heard him mention how the animatronics might not see him as a person and instead as an endoskeleton without a costume on.

“Ooookaaaay?” Where was this going?

“ _Now since that’s against the rules here at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza, they’ll probably try to…forcefully stuff you inside a Freddy Fazbear suit.”_

“…what…?”

_“Um, now, that wouldn’t be so bad if the suits themselves weren’t filled with crossbeams, wires, and animatronic devices, especially around the facial area. So, you could imagine how having your head forcefully pressed inside one of those could cause a bit of discomfort…and death.”_

Mike almost dropped the phone at the mention of that. His breathing was quickening, and he stood up in his chair. “Excuse me!?” Mike barely heard the last few lines the person behind the recording was saying. Something about conserving the power, which Mike sort of knew already and only closing the doors only if absolutely necessary. The phone went dead after that and Mike numbly hung it up. His mind was reeling after all that information. He sat there silently, staring off at the darkened computer screen. He sat there for a good ten minutes before finally he started to respond. At first, he gave a dry chuckle. That chuckle turned into a heavier laugh which eventually morphed into a full-on guffaw.

Tears brimmed the corner of his eyes, and Mike wiped them away. “Oookay, I get it now. You guys are playing a prank on the new guy. Bonnie? Foxy? This was your doing, wasn’t it? You guys knew I was coming in and wanted to get my goat.” He laughed some more, turning on the camera. He grinned when he looked at the main show room and only saw Freddy standing on the stage. “Oh, so you guys _are_ awake. Okay, real funny. Ha ha. Let’s all have a good laugh at Mi-“

There was a heavy crash and the lights outside to his left started to flicker. Mike froze, dread making his body freeze. He gulped, turning off the monitor again and stood up.

“Uh…heh…” Mike’s smile was forced as he peeked his head out the hall, hitting the lights. There at the end of the hall stood a familiar purple rabbit. Bonnie stood there ominously; eyes blank but locked onto the nightguard. “Okay, Bonnie. Very funny.”

Bonnie’s ears twitched at the noise. He took a heavy step forward, his large footstep echoing around the two. Mike gulped at the chilling effect it left. The rabbit took another step closer.

“You can…” Mike felt his heartrate spike. “You can stop this now Bonnie.”

Bonnie didn’t stop. In fact, he started to walk faster. His purple eyes started to shift, the glassy eyes slowly turning pitch black with only two small white pupils in the center.

“Okay, that’s…that’s new…” Mike commented, noticing the eyes. “Okay, you got me, Bonnie. You win. Just…” Bonnie was now only a foot away from Mike, a deep guttural groan emanating from Bonnie’s mouth. “Du-dude, you can-“ The rabbit lifted up a menacing paw, ready to swipe at Mike. “BONNIE, STOP!” Mike ran back in his office, hitting the button to the door. In seconds the door slammed shut, keeping the animatronic out. Mike heard Bonnie let out a frustrated groan and a few bangs followed after. After a terrifying moment, silence followed and Mike shakily reached for the monitor again, hitting the appropriate button after some fumbling, and was relieved to see Bonnie walking away and entering a party room.

His body moved on autopilot as he opened the door to his left and back in his seat.

“Okay…maybe…maybe they aren’t playing a prank on me…Bonnie would never let a joke go this far…then all that message said, it was true?” Mike heard shuffling to his right, and it was then he remembered Chica was also missing from the stage. He gasped, hitting the lights to his side and saw the yellow chicken peaking her head through the window of the wall. He yelped, hitting the door and shutting off the lights. He felt his body freeze up when he heard harsh knocking on the door before heavy footsteps leaving the area.

This really wasn’t a joke. The animatronics, his friends, they really were after his life. He jumped when he heard more clanging in the background. Mike grabbed at his computer, looking for each animatronic. If this really wasn’t just some cruel joke, Mike knew he had to get the hang of this fast or else…He gulped when the mental image of his body being shoved in the animatronic suit popped up in his head…well he was not looking forward to that becoming a reality. Time to get through the night.

 

* * *

 

Foxy curled in a ball on his personal stage, paw and hook clawing at his ears as he heard the dark whispers trying to take over his mind.

_“Come on Foxy, you know you want to. Let’s just go after him! It will be sooooo easy! Just get up and run!”_

“Ye be quiet, demon! Ye can’t tell this ol’ pirate what to do!”

_“You can’t fight this off forever, Foxy! Sooner or later, you’ll want to do it! You’ll want to get him! You’ll want to-“_

“Shut it!” Foxy yelled, slamming his hook into the stage. The metal smacked harshly into the wood, but he managed to both keep his hook from getting stuck in the panel and drive away the voice in his head. Letting out a sigh, the fox closed his eyes, pulling up his eyepatch at the same time with his paw and running the pads across his face.

He stayed there, content with the silence. The fox preferred when the nights were like this. When he had more control. He could sit there on his stage with his thoughts running through his mind. And what a night to do so. After all, all Foxy wanted to do was think about this new nightguard.

“Mikey…? It couldn’t be, right? He be gone long ago. Left, he did. There be no way he would be back in this here wreck…”

The name Mike was one the fox never thought he would hear again, but he did constantly think about. How could he not, though? Mike was…well Mike was special. He was special to all the animatronics, but Foxy always had a special fondness for the child that would sneak in his makeshift pirate boat set and play all sorts of games with him. Foxy couldn’t stop the smile that crossed his snout as he remembered a particular day when he and Mikey pretended to fight off the kraken.

He heard a shout from the night guard in the distant, trying his best to connect the voice to the child he knew all those years ago. Maybe it was true…maybe that man he saw earlier, the one who looked at him with such joy and promised to repair his suit later really was the same lad. The same sweet and innocent kid that Foxy missed so dearly-

The voice started back up again and Foxy hissed in annoyance. He yanked at the fur on top of his head, trying to get rid of it. It vanished faster then normal, not that he complained. Foxy _was_ usually good at drowning out the voice and the urge to go after the nightguard better then say Bonnie and Chica. He was no where near as good at fighting it off as Freddy, but Foxy was pretty proud of himself when he could keep ahold of his sanity in the beginning of the week.

Bonnie and Chica weren’t so lucky. No one knew why the two had the most trouble at keeping control. It just seemed as soon as midnight struck it was a constant battle for the rabbit and chicken. Sure, Bonnie and Chica could return to normal at some moment during the night, but it was more common to see what they were becoming rather than their real selves.

Freddy was the one who held out the most during the week. He could almost always keep control the entire week. It was usually the fifth day of the week when his strength would give out. Freddy would spend so much energy during the earlier days of the week than by the time Thursday and Friday hit he was in just as bad a state as the others, if not worse.

Foxy shuddered as he remembered just how violent Freddy would get by the end of the week. Bonnie and Chica may lose control the fastest, but they were by far the least threatening and cunning. They would just toy around aimlessly throughout the hallway. Sometimes they would stay at the doors longer to waste power, but they were still the easiest to deal with. Even Foxy wasn’t as bad. If he were to lose control and take off after the guard, he would normally be back in control after hitting the door a few times and then the pirate would make a quick dash back to his cove in hopes he could stay there for the remainder of the night.

Freddy, however, at least at the end of the week, would toy with the guard. He would mess with them through the cameras, seemingly staring right at them through the lenses, and right when the nightguard is distracted enough with the others, Freddy would hide out in the office, waiting, watching. Going just long enough to practically mock the guard as they desperately searched for the missing bear before the leader would pounce, pinning the guard down.

Foxy felt his body tense as he remembered this exact scenario happening not even two weeks ago. It was a matter of time, in the fox’s eyes when this would all happen again. Soon enough, he and the others would be coated in the blood of the nightguard just like what happened not long ago. Bonnie and Chica would hog the bathroom for hours, crying oily tears into their fur as they desperately tried to rid themselves of the evidence of their crime. Freddy would console them before going to wash in solitude, wallowing in pity and shame at his actions. He could never face the others after a guard was…dealt with and Foxy doubted the bear would ever do so in the future. And while the other three would deal with their own way of dealing with the blood, Foxy would do as he always does, tear at his fur, ripping the ends that would be coated in more blood or perhaps taking a gallon of water and pouring over his body, not caring that he could short circuit. This was what he always done in the past and when the inevitable happened and another nightguard was claimed under the cruel trapping of the animatronics, Foxy would do the same again. An endless bloody cycle.

There was a particularly loud scream from the nightguard that caught the fox’s attention. Foxy poked his head past his curtain, tilting an ear to listen for any other noises. He could hear Bonnie walking by slowly, but the fox didn’t stop listening. He only did when he heard the office doors open and close again, letting out a breath he didn’t know he was holding. The guard was safe still.

The pirate was about to tuck himself back in his stage when he notices footsteps approaching. He eyed the entrance to pirate’s cove and sighed at the sight of Bonnie. The rabbit’s ears were pinned back in shame and that was evidence enough to the red animatronic that Bonnie was back to normal at least right now.

“H-hey…” the purple rabbit started. “Can…can we talk?”

Foxy eyed the clock on the wall. It was already 5 in the morning getting close to 6. Time sure does fly by when he is wallowing by himself and fighting off the urge to become a murderer. “It be dangerous to talk now, ya know?”

Bonnie nodded his head. “Yeah, but…I really need to talk to someone, and I really don’t want to disturb Freddy and who knows if Chica is herself or not.”

The pirate let out a sigh, knowing how true Bonnie’s words were. “So, I be the last resort?” He meant it as a joke, but Bonnie flinched back, rubbing his head nervously.

“Oh, don’t put it like that, Foxy. You know I love talking to you, man.”

“I’m kidding, lad.” Foxy lifted his eyepatch that had fallen over earlier and gave the rabbit a wink. He patted the floorboard with his paw. “Come aboard me mighty ship already.”

The guitarist scoffed. “It’s not a ship, pal.”

“It be a ship!” The pirate defended. “It be the finest ship to ever sail the ocean blue!”

With a roll of his magenta eyes, Bonnie stepped on the stage, letting the curtain flutter past him. The two were surrounded by darkness, not that either animatronic minded. They settled on the ground, Bonnie closing his eyes. Whether it was just to calm his nerves or to keep in control, Foxy wasn’t about to question it. So, the red animatronic waited a few moments before speaking up again.

“So, what be it ye wants?”

Bonnie seemed to hesitate, his ears dropping down. He eyed Foxy for a moment before sighing and speaking. “That new nightguard. You saw him, right? He came to you before his shift?”

“…Aye…” Foxy answered after a brief pause. “He looks to be a good lad. Strong, smart. I think he may be able to survive the nights…”

The rabbit let out a groan, shaking his head. “Come on, ya stupid fox! You know what I’m getting at. Do you think it’s really him? Mikey?”

Foxy didn’t want to answer that question. It was the question that would keep gracing his mind since the night started, but the pirate fought hard to keep the truth away. Because if the guard really was the same Mikey, if he really was _their_ Mikey, then that would mean they could…No, Foxy didn’t want to think of that thought. “What do you think?” he decided to throw the question back at Bonnie, wanting to hear the rabbit’s opinion first.

The guitarist cringed, not expecting the pirate fox to do that, but sighed, lowering his head. “Yeah…I’m sure it’s him. I saw him, like face to face. Right before he slammed the door in my face. It…it was Mikey, Foxy. He may be an adult now, but I’m sure it was Mikey.”

Foxy let out a heavy breath. He was afraid of that answer. “If that be true…then what be the plan, laddie?”

The bunny shrugged. “I don’t know. I was hoping you may have an idea.” He ran his paws over the top of his head. “Should we, I’dunno, confront Mike? Like, talk to him after his shift.”

“Would that really be the best of ideas?” Foxy questioned. “Besides, might be something for Cap’n Freddy to make a final decision on. It be breaking the rules after all.”

Bonnie scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Please, that idiot has a pole so far up his ass he doesn’t know how to bend the rules for even a little bit. I already know what Freddy would say. He only lets us talk to kids anymore these days, not adults.”

“Even if one adult may, in fact, be Mikey?” Foxy questioned. Bonnie thought it over, raising a paw to his mouth in thought. “Look, lad. If this new guard really be Mikey, then perhaps Cap’n will let us all have a word with him. Maybe…maybe we can even-“

Foxy couldn’t finish his thought as Bonnie let out a sharp gasp. The rabbit flinched, bending over, clutching the back of his head with both paws. “Damn it, no! Not now!”

“Bonnie!?”

The guitarist went limp after a moment of struggle. He didn’t even seem to move for a moment and the pirate was about to place a cautious paw on the rabbit’s shoulder when suddenly Bonnie lifted up his head. His magenta eyes were gone, now pitch black with that single white dot in the center of both eyes. Bonnie let a disturbed smile grace his face as he locked eyes with the pirate. “Hello, Foxy!”

Bonnie’s voice was dark, twisted, full of an evil intent and Foxy was not about to have any of that. The pirate raised a hook, glaring dangerously down at the rabbit. “Ye better release me friend right now, ya damn devil!”

A purple paw quickly raised up, and Bonnie chuckled, his eyes returning to normal almost instantly. “Fo-foxy, hold it pirate! I was just kidding. It’s six. It’s six. I was just gaining full control again. That’s all.”

The pirate looked up and indeed saw the clock on the wall read six. Foxy let out a huff as he still threatened his hook above the rabbit. “Don’t you be doing that to me, lad!”

Bonnie’s laughter grew more energy as it began to echo around them. “Sorry, sorry! I couldn’t resist! Hahahaha!”

The pirate groaned, rolling his eyes. “What am I going to do with ye?”

Bonnie just shrugged, taking a few steps to the edge of the stage. “Eh, who knows. Guess that is a question to be answered at a later date. Because _I_ must return to my stage.” Bonnie gave a mock salute, stepping backward, not paying mind to where he was walking. “See ya later, capt-AAAAH!”

Foxy gasped when he saw Bonnie tumble backward. He ran to the edge of the stage to observe the damage only to grin and chuckle at the sight he saw. Bonnie was sprawled out on his back, eyes blown wide in shock and mouth agape.

The guitarist let out a cough before shooting a deadly glare at the pirate. “If I hear one laugh out of that mouth of yours, I’m ripping off your good hand.” He warned, already knowing where this was leading to.

Foxy couldn’t resist the urge and broke out in a hearty laugh, slapping his paw on his head while his hook arm rested carefully against his stomach. Bonnie’s complaints could barely be heard over the sound of the laughing fox.

While the two went through that, Mike, meanwhile was slouched in his seat, gasping for air and trying to calm his erratic heartbeat. Why? That was all he could think as the night played back in his head. Why were Bonnie and Chica acting like that? Foxy and Freddy let the guard alone, which Mike wasn’t sure if he should be grateful for or not, but that didn’t stop his frantic questioning on the behavior of the rabbit and chicken. There was just no way…no way that his two childhood friends would attempt to kill him like that, but the way the two acted during the night…Mike wasn’t sure what to believe.

The guard noticed it was six and decided he needed to get out of his office while he could. He was done with his shift and there was no way he would spend another minute in this place when he didn’t need to be there. He stood up quickly, eyeing his left exit. Bonnie had gone missing for a while, so maybe this would be safest. With a surge of bravery, Mike bolted down the hall, keeping an eye out for the purple rabbit or anyone else.

He was just about to turn a corner when a sound caught his attention, coming from Pirate’s Cove. Mike raised a brow as he listened. It was laughter. Not just any laughter, it was undeniably Foxy’s signature pirate laugh. He cautiously moved closer to the side room before peeking inside. What he saw was the collapsed Bonnie, irritated face crossing the rabbit’s features and Foxy laughing to his fake heart’s content at the display of the animatronic.

Mike too, felt a smile return to him despite his still frantic feelings. This…this is what he expected to see during the night. His old pals acting as goofy and silly as before. Tripping over themselves, laughing and joking, and overall being happy. Not…whatever the hell they were doing in the earlier hours. The sight of Foxy laughing and Bonnie letting out an annoyed comment to the fox brought out the guard’s own gentle chuckle at the sight as he hid from view.

Bonnie felt his ear twitch at a noise behind him but ignored it for a moment as he addressed Foxy some more. “Oh, haha. Very funny, that’s right.” Bonnie grumbled, making his way to his feet and brushing off any dirt from his arms. He huffed before rolling his eyes.

“Oh, like ye wouldn’t have done the same if it be me that fell.” Foxy said, smirking.

The rabbit put up an act, closing his eyes and crossing his arms, sticking his nose in the air. “I don’t have the faintest idea what you mean, my dear friend. I would never laugh at the misery of another.”

“Bullshit, and ye know it.” Foxy shot back.

Bonnie couldn’t hold in his own laughter as he let his shoulders rise and fall in mirth. Oh, it was good for the rabbit to laugh, especially after a night of stress and anxiety. He took in a breath before facing the entrance of the cove. “And Chica! I know you’re there. I heard you earlier. You can’t hide from me.”

Mike tensed up, looking around. There was no Chica around him which led to one conclusion. Bonnie thought he was the chicken. He backed up, his fear returning as he watched the rabbit start to approach him. His mind played back the earlier part of the night, when the same robotic rabbit launched at him in that menacing way. This time, Bonnie just casually strolled over to where Mike was curling up in, but the same dreadful feeling still graced the nightguard. Mike wanted to bolt back to his office, but before he could get his legs to work again, a huge purple paw patted down on Mike’s shoulders.

Bonnie’s smirk fell when he realized he didn’t grab onto his chicken sister, but instead the night guard. The words in his mouth died instantly as his glassy eyes locked onto Mike’s own fear filled ones. Bonnie flinched back, paw releasing its gentle grip on the human. Bonnie took this time to get a better look at the man and there really was no doubt in the rabbit’s mind. Same blue eyes, same curly brown hair. This really was… “Mikey?”

“Bonnie?”  

The rabbit felt his insides freeze up at the call of his name.

Foxy heard the two and slowly began to approach. He stepped up behind Bonnie, peaking over the rabbit’s shoulders. “Oh my…” Foxy started. “Mikey…Tis…tis really be you matey?”

Mike cast a glance over at the red animatronic, a flood of childhood memories rushing back at him as he gazed up at the golden gaze of the robotic fox. He opened his mouth to speak, but the words just wouldn’t come out.

The three stood there in silence, neither one knowing how to speak to the other. Thankfully a decision was made for the rabbit one what to do next.

“Bonnie! Where are you!?” There was no doubt that was Freddy’s deep voice. It flew across the halls until catching the three’s attention. Bonnie practically jumped with relief as he turned in the direction of the voice. “C-coming Freddy!” The rabbit cast one final glance down at Mike, a conflict of emotions rushing within his gaze he gave the man, but Bonnie just couldn’t keep standing here any longer. The stab of different emotions was getting too much and Bonnie bolted from the spot, giving a sympathetic look to the fox animatronic.

Foxy glared in Bonnie’s direction when the rabbit was out of sight. “Damn that, hare…” he hissed.

Mike also looked at where the rabbit escaped to before gaining the courage to look back up at Foxy. He gulped, seeing the fox shake and wondered if that was a good sign or bad. “C-captain Foxy?” he tried; nerves clear as he stuttered the name.

The robotic fox flinched, squeezing his eyes tight as he tried to gain back his ability to speak to the man. He sucked in air that he didn’t even need before pushing it back out. He cracked an eye open, covering the other with the eyepatch. Once he got a good look at the man, the man that was no doubt his Mikey, he began to step away himself, ears pinning back in shame. “Mikey, it be best if ye quit now. Ye…I won’t be able to ensure ye’s safety during the week if ye stay.”

Mike wasn’t expecting such a line. It practically confirmed that Bonnie and Chica were indeed trying to hurt and kill him tonight and there would be a strong possibility that Foxy and Freddy would follow suit too. That should be enough for the guard to just quit now, like the fox was telling him too, and be done with his life at the pizzeria, but…

His mind once again replayed all his childhood memories he had at this place. The time he would play pirate with Foxy. When he would sing songs with Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica. The times he would eat Chica’s specialty made pizza, the games he would play against Bonnie, and all the bearhugs he would receive from Freddy. All those memories and more rushed around in his head.

No…he thought, as he looked up at the shameful looking fox. There was no way he could abandon his friend now. Something was up. This wasn’t just some mistake in their code. Freddy and the others were way to kind to willingly kill. Something was making them do this. That had to be it!

“Foxy, there is something wrong right?”

The pirate looked down at Mike, confused at first.

“Something is making you guys act like this, right? Because…because I know you guys!” Mike clenched his fist tightly, smiling a bright smile to show he understood now. “The animatronics I know would never harm a fly! So, something is wrong with you guys and making you do this, right?”

“Mikey…” Foxy blinked his eyes, not fully comprehending the change in Mike’s attitude.

“That’s it! So, what is it!? What’s making you guys act so crazy at night. Maybe I can help! I can put a stop to it!” Mike laughed, thinking that it was all so simple. “Just tell me, Foxy, and I can-“

“Mikey…” the pirate started, pressing a paw to the man’s shoulder. “Mikey, calm ye self. You already be getting in over your head.” He leaned down to be more eyelevel with the human. The animatronic recognized that look that was building up in the guard’s eyes. That determined look that would stick with him until he accomplished whatever goal was coming to mind. Normally Foxy would encourage the fire that was flaming within Mike when he got like this. It was something the pirate would do often when Mike was a child, but this…Foxy feared where this fire would lead the man to now. And the pirate was not going to live with himself if this would just leave Mike at the wrong end of his hook or worse. No, this was the first time Foxy would have to snuff the flame before it grew. “Listen to this ol’ pirate, lad. There is nothing ye can do. It just be too dangerous for ye to be here. Please, Mikey, quit. Leave the pizzeria and never return. Ye would be safer that way. We…we wouldn’t be able to get to you then.”

“I…” Mike’s smile fell and his shoulders droop. Foxy hissed back at the pained expression crossing his favorite human’s face, but knew this had to be done. “Captain Foxy?”

The animatronic backed away, crossing his arms over his chest. “It be best if ye just forget about us, lad.” He stepped into his side room, needing to be away from Mike or his own emotions would give way. “Goodbye, Mikey.”

Mike watched helplessly as Foxy snuck back on his stage and hide behind the curtain. “What…?” He couldn’t believe it. Captain Foxy was giving up? When he clearly was in pain and needed help, the ever-determined fox was pushing Mike away and letting whatever was wrong with him and the others consume them? Did the others feel the same as the fox? Was that why Bonnie ran off before Mike could even properly speak to him?

“No…” Mike shook his head. “No, this isn’t right.” He came here to reunite with his friends and he wasn’t about to just abandon them when there was something making them act…well Mike didn’t want to fully say how they were acting. All he knew was there was indeed something wrong and the more Foxy pushed away, the more Mike knew it was true. Despite how they acted during his shift, the way they were now, there was no way the animatronics were behaving like that on their own accord. “Fox-“

A hand grasped at Mike’s shoulder and the guard gasped in fright. He turned his head just in time to see Mr. Fazbear standing by his side. “S-sir?”

“Michael.” Mr. Fazbear started. His skin looked pale and his eyes were wide in shock. “I’m…I’m surprised to see you still here, boy. Shouldn’t you…” The old man took a look inside Pirate’s Cove, “shouldn’t you be heading home now.”

Mike stepped back from his boss, a glare forming on his face. “You knew…didn’t you?”

Mr. Fazbear didn’t look fazed by the question as he sighed, stepping away from Mike. “All jobs have their risks, boy.” He started making his way back to the main showroom, ignoring the fact that his newest employee was following him like a hawk, eyes stabbing into his back. “I needed a new night guard. You have to understand, monsters like those things need to be watched, to make sure they don’t cause any havoc in the city.” he gestured to the stage where Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica stood. The three flinched at the harsh accusation, but ignored their owner, getting into position like they were supposed to.

Mike’s rage fueled him as he noticed his friends’ reactions.

“Honestly, Mike, just imagine the chaos that would come if they escaped?” Mr. Fazbear began unlocking his office door. “I can’t afford that. This building has too much blood on his hands already thanks to those things. I can’t afford anymore scandal.”

“Are you serious!?” Mike demanded, stepping up to the man. “I can’t believe you! Not only do you purposely put employees in danger, but I also can’t believe you would treat the animatronics like that too!”

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mr. Fazbear questioned. “Are you…defending those things? Michel, they are machines. Objects. What’s gotten into you?”

“They are my friends!”

On stage, Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica watched Mike in awe, unable to believe that the nightguard would defend them even in the slightest. Not after what happened during the night, and not after everything they’ve done in the past…

Mr. Fazbear groaned, rubbing his hand across his face. “Are you hearing yourself, boy? You are talking about them as if they are real. As if they are as alive as you and me.”

“Can you really say that about them?” Mike gestured to the stage. “You’ve known all of them longer then me, and you can honestly tell me they don’t think and behave just as human as us!”

Mr. Fazbear went red in the face. “They are killing machines!” he snapped, throwing his hands in the air. “The only goddamn reason I keep them around is because I have a life, I need to take care of. Trust me, boy! If I had things go my way, these damn monsters would have been scrap metal long ago!” Mr. Fazbear slammed open his office door, never once tearing his glare from Mike. The two had a stand off before the old man huffed and marched into his office, plopping on his desk and lighting a cigar.

The animatronics backed away, lowering their heads in shame at the words being thrown their way. Chica felt oily tears well up in her eyes and Bonnie and Freddy were quick to hug and comfort her before she broke down. Mike noticed and ran to her.

“Chica?”

The chicken sniffled, looking between the bear and rabbit down at the human. “Mikey? It’s really you.” She smiled, stepping closer. Freddy looked like he wanted to pull her back but stopped as she leaned over and wrapped her wings around the man. Chica squawked happily, resting her head against Mike’s head. “Oh, my little Mikey! I’m so sorry, I’m so sorry!”

Mike smiled. “Shh, it’s okay, Chica.” He pulled back. “I knew it. You guys aren’t acting like this on purpose!”

Freddy sighed. “Mike, we would never hurt you willingly, but…”

The guard looked over the bear, worried frown etching on his face.

“But there is nothing that can be done. Mr. Fazbear is correct. We are just…monsters. It’s best if you just quit and leave.” He locked his eyes with the guard. “If you don’t there is only so many ways this will end for you, and I do not want to see you hurt or worse.”

“Freddy, you guys need help. I can figure it out. Mr. Fazbear may have given up on you, but I won’t! I’ll save you guys! I can do it!”

“No.” Freddy shook his head. “This is just something that goes way above your head. Nothing can stop this, Mikey. Trust me, I’ve been around long enough to know how this will all turn out. Police haven’t been able to put a stop to it, Mr. Fazbear hasn’t been able to put a stop to it.” The bear sighed. “What is wrong with us isn’t just some simple malfunction. This is…this is…”

“It’s a freaking curse…” Bonnie interjected. The others looked at him as the rabbit messed with his guitar. “A stupid damn curse that just will continue. It won’t end because nightguards will still be taken in and we will still be going after them at night. It’s a cycle that won’t end and you shouldn’t have to be caught up in it.”

“Mr. Fazbear is causing this, isn’t he!?” Mike accused, starting to turn around to go back to his boss.

“No, no!” Freddy grabbed the man to stop him. “Mr. Fazbear has his own role in this bloody mess, yes. But there is so much more to this situation and it doesn’t start with him.” Freddy sighed. “Mike, you have your warning. Quit, please. These nights only end one way, with another death and I…I can’t have _you_ die, Mikey. Not because of us. So please, just leave.”

Mike looked at the desperate faces of the animatronics. He remembered Foxy’s own attempt to get Mike to leave and never return. The way the robotic animals were acting, it was like they truly believed there was no way to stop this.

Mike won’t accept that. “No.” He backed up, a confident look locking onto his features. “No, I know there has to be a way to stop this madness. I know for a fact now there is something making you guys act like this, and I’m gonna get to the bottom of it and save you all and any future employee of this place. No one else needs to die here. No one else _will_ die here! I’ll make sure of it. I’m not quitting, and no one is gonna stop me!” He smiled at the band. “You tell this to Foxy too. I’m gonna keep coming back until I figure this all out. Just you wait!”

“Mikey, wait!” Freddy went to stop the young man, but Mike ignored the bear’s attempts to stop him and instead made his way to the front door.

Back in his office, Mr. Fazbear watched this entire exchanged and sighed. He stood up, meeting Mike halfway before he could leave.

“I know you want to blame this all on me, kid.”

Mike glared at his boss, anger twisting inside him.

“Don’t let your emotions for those things cloud your judgment. I’ve done that before too and…well damn Mike, if only you knew…” Mr. Fazbear sighed, taking a puff of his cigar. “Mike, I don’t like to think I’m the bad guy. I know I’ve done bad things. I’ve intentionally lured good, innocent people to their demise. But…but if you knew Mike the history the Fazbear company has been through…hehe, well even if you did, it probably wouldn’t make a difference.” The old man took another puff, looking up at the younger man. “Mike, you really shouldn’t dig your nose where it doesn’t belong. If you keep digging you may find a lot of things you wouldn’t like. Just do your job, kid. I actually do make it so you can survive each night. It’s doable.”

“Why hire nightguards in the first place if you know they could still die though?”

The old man shook his head. “What would happen if I _don’t_ have a nightguard. I can’t afford that. If something terrible happens here, I can cover it up. If something terrible happens out there.” Mr. Fazbear gestured to the outside with his head. “Well, I can’t afford that. I’ve put too much into my business to just watch it collapse.” He stuffed his hands in his pockets, leaning on the wall. “Please understand Mike, there isn’t much we can do for them…the animatronics I mean. They are a lost cause. In the end, it’s best just to remember they are just a bunch of scrap metal that can sing and dance. Nothing more, nothing less.” He turned away, walking back to his office. “It hurts less that way.”

Mike watched him enter his office before turning back to the robotic animal band. Freddy and the others watched him too, waiting for something, they just didn’t know what. The guard smiled at them. He knew what they were waiting for. They were waiting for a freedom from this “curse” as Bonnie puts it. And no matter how many warnings he gets, from Mr. Fazbear and the animatronics, Mike would not back down until he helped his robotic friends.

“I’ll see you guys tonight. I swear.”

Freddy felt his hands tighten around his microphone. He smiled at the promise, despite the conflicting emotions he felt. “We’ll see you then, Mikey.”


	2. The Story Begins

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike must take on his second night at the pizzeria and Freddy must learn to finally open up about the past.

Mike let out a cry as he ran into the pizzeria. “I’m here! I’m here!”

Like the previous night, the cleanup crew all froze in what they were doing to give monotonous stares to the nightguard. Mike smiled nervously at their reaction. They all stared for a moment before most went back to work. One, a young man around the same age as Mike, shook his head. “You came here early.” He gestured to the wall that displayed the clock that read 11:30.

“Uh, yeah. Best to be here nice and early for my-“

“Yeah, I don’t care,” the guy announced, stepping away with a broom under his grip.

Mike scowled at the retreating man before sighing. “I got a half hour before twelve. That’s when the animatronics started acting up.” Looking around, he instantly saw the stage where Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica were standing like usual. Just like the previous night, their heads were hung low and eyes shut. “Oh, come on guys…” Mike rolled his eyes at the display the animatronics showed, starting to make a path straight to them. He went to run around a table that was in his way, yet as soon as he turned the small corner, Mr. Fazbear came into view, blocking the guard. “Whoa!” Mike jumped, trying to avoid running into the old man. He shot the boss a glare, crossing his arms. “What do you want?”

“Hello to you too, Mike,” Mr. Fazbear huffed, adjusting his tie. “Careful with that attitude, boy. If I weren’t so desperate for a nightguard I would have half a mind to fire you right now.”

Mike also huffed but ignored the comment. “Yeah, well, I really should start working, sir. I have a lot I need to do.” He brushed pass his boss, starting back on his beeline to Freddy and the others.

“Mike,” the old man called out. The guard stopped but didn’t turn to face him. “I warned you yesterday, boy. It’s best to keep to yourself when working here. Don’t risk everything just for some stupid machines.” Mr. Fazbear shifted his arm, the keys in his hand jingling with the movement. “Just listen to the recordings, don’t lose power, and don’t get caught. That’s all. I tell ya, once you get in the groove of things, it’ll play off like any other job.”

“I’m not giving up on them,” Mike stated, still keeping his back to the man. “My friends need help and no matter how hard you try, I’m not gonna stop. You can fire me or throw me at Freddy and the others when they are acting crazy, but I’ll save my friends and stop whatever is wrong with them.” With that said, Mike took off, leaving his boss to stare off after him.

Mr. Fazbear stood in place, looking at his nightguard as he approached the stage before finally scoffing and leaving the building.

When the old man left, Mike stepped onto the stage, standing right between Bonnie and Freddy. “Guys! Come one, guys! Time to wake up!”

The three didn’t respond to the guard, just remained stock still.

“Damn it, guys, don’t start this…” Mike complained, arms dropping down dramatically. He sighed, before grabbing at Freddy’s arm. “I know you guys are awake! Just open up your eyes!” There was loud scuffling and Mike blinked confused, looking off to the tables to see the cleanup crew frantically finishing up their jobs and making a break to the door. The guard scowled at the crew. “Hey!” he shouted at them as they abandoned some parts of their job, opting to instead run out the door and lock it behind them. “They aren’t gonna hurt anyone!”

“Correction!” the last of the crew shouted, the same man from earlier. “They aren’t gonna hurt us! Good luck with your death wish!” He slammed the front door behind him when he made sure the rest of the crew was gone, an audible click coming next. Mike watched in irritation through the glass door as the janitor man ran down the street, far away from the restaurant.

“Assholes…”

“Language, Michael…” Freddy’s voice spoke up.

Mike gasped, his joy returning and looked to see Freddy starting to move. “Freddy!”

“I don’t remember you saying such foul language when you were younger,” the bear chuckled, stretching his arms.

“The kid grew up,” Bonnie replied next, lifting an arm and ruffling Mike’s hair. “He’s allowed to say all the curse words he damn well please, right Mikey?”

“Bonnie…” Freddy warned his rabbit brother.

Bonnie made a face at the bear just as Chica started moving, looking at the guard. “Mikey, why are you back? I thought Freddy told you to quit.”

“And I have constantly said I will not quit.” Mike gave a smile to the chicken. “You guys need help and I’m gonna be the one to help you all out. Just like you guys would do for me when I was younger!”

Freddy frowned. “Mike, this isn’t like us cheering you up when you were crying.”

“I…I never cried…” the guard defended with a blush.

Bonnie snickered. “You cried all the time, kiddo.”

“Shut it!” Mike pushed at the laughing rabbit, embarrassed.

Freddy cleared his throat to get the others attention. “Guys…” He raised a brow, crossing his arms.

Bonnie rolled his eyes, but stopped teasing Mike, the guard lowered his head at the scolding voice. “Stick in the mud…” the rabbit muttered.

The lead singer ignored the rabbit before looking at the human again. “Mike, I really do hope you know what you are doing. Like I tried to say, this isn’t like when we would sing for you or play games with you when you were a kid. This is a life and death situation.” Mike lowered to be eyelevel. He placed his paws on Mike’s shoulder, trying as hard as he could to show how serious he was. “This is a dangerous situation, Mike. Please, promise me you will do all you can to stay safe. Even if something has to happen to _us_ in the end. Mr. Fazbear is right about one thing. We are just machines. We can be repaired over and over again, but there is only one Mike Schmidt.”

Mike nodded his head. “I understand, Freddy. I swear, I’m not gonna die anytime soon!”

The bear smiled at the confidence. “You really are our Mikey,” he spoke fondly, moving to ruffle the young man’s head like Bonnie did earlier. “As stubborn as I remember.”

Mike smiled at the bear. “I’m just happy you guys actually _bothered_ to remember me.” The guard chuckled, an embarrassed blush returning to his face. “I won’t lie, I kind of feared you guys would have forgotten about me by now. I mean, it’s been years.”

Chica walked up behind the guard, wrapping him in a tight hug. “Oh Mikey, we could never forget about you!”

“Yeah!” Bonnie grinned. “You were part of the family. How could I forget about my little guitar buddy?”

“Or my pizza buddy?” Chica questioned.

Freddy chuckled, watching the three. “Yes, Mike. We never forgot about you. You mean so much to all of us. You’ve always been a special one.” The bear laughed. “Why, wasn’t it Foxy that would say you have the heart of an animatronic?”

Mike gasped, hearing the name. “Foxy! I need to talk to him before twelve!”

The three animatronics froze, remembering just what was nearing. Freddy glanced at the clock. 11:45. “Fifteen minutes…” He lowered his head, hand reaching up to grab at his top hat. He held it to his chest as he thought about what was about to happen. He felt eyes on him, and the singing bear looked over to see Bonnie, Chica, and Mike all giving him worrying looks. He bit back his own emotions before smiling and returning his hat to its proper place on top of his head. “Well, you go say a quick hello to Foxy, Mike. We’ll be here.”

Mike continued to stare up at the bear, trying to fight back his nervousness.

Bonnie and Chica’s moods also lowered as they returned to their place on stage, Bonnie clutching onto his guitar and Chica hugging her cupcake. Freddy patted them on the back before looking at Mike. “A little advice, Mike. Tonight, when…when we aren’t ourselves…focus more on listening rather than the cameras. It saves power.”

“I…” Mike was a bit thrown off by the advice, but he nodded, walking through the hallway to the side room where Foxy would be resting.

Freddy gave a heavy sigh as he watched Mike leave. Once the nightguard was out of sight, he turned to his robotic siblings. His frown grew when he noticed how unsettled they look. They both clutched onto their respected item, Chica fighting back tears and Bonnie’s fingers twitching against the strings of his guitar. “Hey.” His voice broke through the tension that was building up in the air. The two looked at their leader, ready to soak up anything he would say or do. The bear lifted his arms up, resting on paw on the two. He made sure to keep his gaze steady as he went back and forth to look at each. “Listen. Mike will be fine. He’s a smart boy, you both know this. This night will go by faster than you even realize. Six will come around and Mike will march out his office better than he was when he enters. Okay?”

Bonnie and Chica exchanged looks with each other before back at Freddy, both nodding in agreement.

Freddy patted them on the shoulder before turning around. “Good, now get ready you two. It’s getting closer to 12.”

While Freddy gave words of encouragement to his band members, Mike made his way inside Pirate’s Cove. “Foxy?” he called, looking into the dark room. He ran his hands along the wall looking for a switch. When he came across one, he flipped it, but nothing happened. Mike frowned, deciding to leave the switch alone and head into the room anyways. He hopped onto the stage, pulling the curtain back. “Foxy?”

The fox animatronic shifted in his spot on the ground of his stage, blinking his eyes in confusion at the figure in front of him. When his eyes adjusted, he gasped, standing up and looking over the night guard. “Mikey!?” He ran to the guard, placing his paw on the young man. “What the hell are you doing here? You shouldn’t be here!”

“But I am,” Mike smiled at the fox. “I promised I would.”

“Yeah, but lad-“

“No buts!” Mike held up a hand to quiet the animatronic. “Look, Foxy. How can I be a proper ‘first matey’ to the best pirate of all time if I can’t save you all from something this dangerous?” The guard gave a dramatic pose to the fox, hands at his hips and confident smirk playing on his round face. “I’m gonna be the hero for you guys and when this is all over the five of us can all spend each night hanging out and playing just like old times!”

Foxy couldn’t comprehend what he was hearing at first, staring at Mike with shock and awe. He stared at that grinning human and sensed the bravery he was emanating before finally a chocked laugh broke out. Foxy grinned, his sharp teeth poking out from his muzzle, before finally his full laugh broke through. “Yar har har!” he laughed, shaking his head. “Mikey, you always managed to bring a smile to me face. How do ye always do so?”

Mike joined in on the laugh. “Because I am the first mate of Foxy the Pirate Fox!”

The animatronic gave a fond grin, looking over the human. “That ye are, lad.” He patted the young man on the back. After that, he sat back down on the stage, Mike joining him. Foxy took a glance at the clock before back at the nightguard. “Mikey, this night won’t be as easy. It be harder than last night. You understand, right lad?”

Mike frowned, his seriousness returning. “Yeah, I understand.”

“Good.” Foxy sighed, running a paw down his face. “Lad, each night shall be harder than the last. Ye need to be ready for anything. Be ready for any attack.”

Mike listened to his warning, taking a glimpse at the clock. Seven minutes left. “Hey Foxy? You guys switch at exactly 12, right?”

“Aye.”

“Can you tell me why?” Mike looked over at the fox, raising a brow. “What is it that makes you guys act differently?”

Foxy chuckled but there was no humor in the laugh. “Ye be asking the wrong robot lad. Cap’n Freddy be knowing more then I ever would.”

“Freddy?”

Foxy nodded. “Aye. He been ‘round longer than any of us, lad. In fact, I believe the captain was around when this mess started in the first place.”

Mike thought over what Foxy said, nodding. “I see.”

Foxy noticed the curiosity building up in Mike and grinned. “Tell ye what, Mikey. After this night, I’ll convince Cap’n Freddy to tell ye everything.” He shifted in his spot, slowly beginning to stand. “It won’t be easy, that ol’ bear usually keeps all his secrets to ‘imself. But, with ye…” Foxy looked down at Mike and smirked. “I be sure he would tell it to ye.”

The nightguard grinned at the promise, also standing. “Well, I should get to my office. See ya at six, Captain Foxy.”

“See ya, laddie.”

Mike waved at his friend before speed walking down the dark hall. Once he found his new office, he plopped onto the swivel chair, giving a good luck spin before preparing for midnight.  He didn’t have to wait long because before he knew it, the clock struck 12 and the phone gave a rang. Mike stared at the device for a second before grabbing at it and lifting it to his ear.

“ _Uhh, Hello? Hello? Uh, well if you’re hearing this you made it to day two, uh congrats!”_

Mike rolled his eyes at the recording, holding the phone between his head and shoulder as he used his now free hands to look through the cameras. Coincidentally he did this as the phone guy suggested he look while listening.

He gulped, feeling dread fill him when he hit the camera for the main showroom, seeing Bonnie was already gone from the stage, but he wasn’t too far. He was just standing there, in front of the camera, eyes blank and he almost looked lifeless.

He almost wanted to run to the rabbit to make sure he was okay, but Mike knew that would be a big mistake, so instead he switched to check on Foxy, seeing the curtain closed. After that, he switched off the monitor and listened to the rest of the message.

The phone guy mentioned something about how Freddy becomes more active in the dark and blind spots just outside the doors to his office. Mike did take proper note of this, but didn’t worry about the news too much, instead doing his best to listen to his surroundings like Freddy suggested.

“Okay, don’t lose power or Freddy acts up and keep an eye on the blind spots, easy.”

The phone guy moved on to talk about Foxy and how Mike would need to keep a special eye on the fox, but shortly after that the call ended and the night guard was quick to put the phone up. He went through the cameras again, seeing Bonnie was getting closer to the office, but not close enough. Mike let out a breath to steady his nerves, getting ready for the rest of the night. “Okay, let’s do this!”

He yelled that, pumping his fist in the air, a forced but real confident smirk came across his face as he prepared for the rest of the night. What Mike was unaware of was the small black shadow that ran across the wall behind him. The shadow stayed in place before twisting around and out the door.

 

* * *

 

It’s been a few hours and Mike seemed to be doing rather well. His power was a bit low, but Mike figured he would have plenty to get through the remainder of the night. He had a few issues with Bonnie and Chica, but other than that, Mike figured he was having a good night. He jumped, not expecting to see Foxy make a run to the door but was also lucky enough to shut the door right in time, hissing when he heard the Fox slam into the metal wall and spout out a string of curses. If Mike wasn’t focused on his rapidly beating heart, he may have noticed Foxy’s voice was a bit higher pitched than usual.

Foxy bit back the pain, rubbing his snout as he made a slow track back to his room. He shook his head, sneaking past the curtains of the cove and back safely in his stage. “Damn it…” he barked softly to himself. “Keep it together, ye ol’ pirate…for Mike…” He rubbed his paw over his uncovered eye, cursing at himself for giving in and almost attacking the nightguard.

He rolled over, thinking about the danger Mike was in and how he is willing to put up with it just to save him and the others from the looming threat that has taken the Fazbear company hostage. Foxy wanted to tell Mike everything about what has happened here and what is currently going on, but even Foxy has been kept in the dark about a lot of things. Like he had told Mike earlier, the one person besides Mr. Fazbear, who may have most of, if not, all of the answers is Freddy himself. Foxy knew it wasn’t the bear’s fault for keeping the pirate and the others out of the loop of everything, he knew their leader was just protecting the others. Yet, that didn’t stop the pirate from getting curious. Though Foxy, in the past, would never press the issue, knowing it was such a sensitive topic for Freddy.

There was only one person Freddy did confide in from time to time and it was Bonnie, only because the rabbit has been around longer than the fox or Chica, but even Bonnie was kept in the dark from what Foxy could tell. Maybe Mike showing up was a blessing in disguise. Even _if_ the nightguard couldn’t stop the threat of the restaurant, maybe this would be a good chance to lessen the burden Freddy has been holding on his shoulders for years, and finally speak out on everything.

Foxy smiled at the idea of his leader and role model finally having a chance to let go and let the others hold onto some of the weight of everything. The fox knew Freddy was the type to blame himself or to hide his emotions, but maybe after tonight that will be no more!

A newfound feeling was washing over Foxy as he gained a new goal for the night. Not only would he hold himself together for Mike’s sake, but he would also make sure the leader of his family would finally open up about the situation at hand, for Freddy’s sake! Foxy felt happy with himself as he thought this all out. He even grinned, standing up and patting himself on the back. Nothing was about to sour his mood.

Suddenly his body twitched, sparks flying from the joints of his neck. “Shit…” His eyes darkened and his legs began to move on their own. He gritted his teeth as he began a slow start to the office, trying his best to hold back the sudden murderous feeling coursing through him. “Mi-i-ikey…the DOOR!” he managed to scream out in warning before taking off at full speed. He heard the door to the left of the office shut almost instantly and his paw and hook went to bang on it. He barely noticed Bonnie who was blankly staring back at the fox and standing to the side to let him do his thing. When Foxy got a good few hits in, his eyes returned to normal and the cloudiness he felt in his head vanished. Foxy grinded his fangs together, scratching at the door as he slumped down on the ground, oily tears pooling in his eyes.

A paw rested on his shoulders and Foxy looked up to see Bonnie sympathetically looking down on him. The two didn’t speak as Foxy stood up and they backed away. Bonnie gave a gentle knock on the door as they walked away to signal to Mike they were back in control for a little bit.

The door opened and Mike poked his head out as he sadly watched the dejected animatronics leave. “Don’t worry guys,” he whispered quietly. “I’ll figure this out…” He went back in his office just in time to hear sharp footsteps to his right. Chica was back. “Damn it!” he shut the door just before the chicken could enter. He was about to go and check the cameras when he heard a light tapping on the window. He sighed, risking a bit of power to turn on the lights where he knew Chica was.

The chicken stood there, smiling. Her eyes didn’t look blank and Mike grinned, seeing she was also in control. He hesitated before opening the door. Chica didn’t approach but did lift her wing up closer to the entrance. Mike blinked as he saw a freshly baked slice of pizza on a plate. The guard chuckled. “So, you were the one I heard in the kitchen.”

Chica chuckled nervously. “I thought you would be hungry and made my special pizza for you. Take it.”

The guard smiled at her, taking the plate. He smelled the melted cheese and the spice of the pepperoni. He took a cautious bite, being mindful of the heat, and hummed in delight at the familiar taste. It’s been a long time since he’s had Chica’s pizza. “Thanks. This hits the spo-“ Mike stopped when he noticed Chica clutching her head before bolting away from the office without warning. He frowned, turning off the lights and checking the camera to see the chicken running to the showroom before stopping, her eyes turning dark again and her body slumping as if she weren’t alive. “Oh Chica…”

He checked on the others, Bonnie was back on stage, not looking to be very happy, but he looked to be in control of himself for the moment. From the angel of his head, he must have been looking at the newly arrived Chica. Freddy was also on stage, unable to meet the gaze of Bonnie or the out of control Chica. Mike checked Pirate’s Cove and to his confusion, he saw Foxy out, sitting on his stage. That wasn’t the odd part, the odd part was that he was doodling on a piece of paper. Foxy jolted when he heard the camera in his room turn on and grinned at the lens. He held a paw to keep Mike’s attention before finishing up the last of the detail on the paper.

It was a note. In sloppy handwriting, Mike could scarcely make out the words, “Going to see Freddy.”

The guard chuckled, taking a bite of his pizza again. He switched off the camera for a moment, taking the time to relax with his pizza. The only one he needed to worry about at this time was Chica and she was in the same room as Freddy who would give occasional warning calls to the guard when the rabbit or chicken would start to move out. As long as he ate quickly, Mike wouldn’t have to worry about getting caught off guard.

Back in the showroom, Freddy kept a careful eye on Bonnie and Chica. He himself felt fine. The urge to get off the stage and head to the office hasn’t hit him just yet, which he was grateful for. He took a quick glance at the clock and read it was getting closer to six. Though they all still had a good few more minutes. “Almost done guys…” he gave the encouraging line to them, but Bonnie and Chica didn’t seem to hear. Freddy felt his hopes sink when Bonnie started to walk off stage silently, Chica following shortly after. He gave a warning to Mike before letting out a frustrated noise, slapping his paws to his face.

“This can’t keep going on. We can’t keep doing this…” He felt tears hit his eyes but brushed them aside. No, he would not cry. He would not give in. Not now.

“Cap’n?”

Freddy jumped, not expecting to hear the scratchy voice of Foxy. He cleared his throat before forcing on a smile. “Ah, Foxy. Didn’t expect to see you tonight.” The bear greeted his fox brother warmly.

The pirate smiled back, though there was almost no joy in his eyes. He stepped closer to the stage, nervously wobbling on his legs. “Fr-freddy? I…I be needing to talk to ye.”

“Of course.” Freddy sat down on the edge of the stage, patting the side next to him. He offered Foxy another grin as the red animatronic sat next to him awkwardly. “What can I do for you?”

“Well, cap’n…I be thinking about Mikey and all he been promisin’ for us. How he be willing to save us from…well ya know.”

Freddy rubbed the back of his head, feeling a pressure build up at Foxy’s words. He easily suppressed it. “Yes, I do know.”

“But that be the thing, captain…” Foxy looked up in Foxy, locking eyes with the bear. “Mikey doesn’t know. He barely knows a thing. He don’t even know about…” the fox looked from side to side as if that were to stop anyone from spying on the two, “ _them,”_ he ended up whispering.

“Yes, I know he doesn’t.” Freddy shook his head, letting out a breath he didn’t even need.

“Well, shouldn’t he?” Foxy questioned. “If Mikey is gonna be sticking around here, maybe it be best if he knows _everything.”_

Freddy eyed the fox suspiciously. “And just how much is _everything_ , Foxy?”

“Hehe, oh ya know…just…how everything started…?”

Freddy closed his eyes, sucking in a breath that sounded more as a hiss. “Foxy…”

“Captain…ya can’t keep holding this all to ye-self. It be killing ya, captain.” Foxy defended. “Besides, we all be a part of this mess too. Don’t we have as much right to know the truth as you?”

“Foxy, I-“

“Don’t we!?” The pirate stood up, shooting a glare down at the sitting bear. The two grew quiet, Freddy’s eyes were wide in shock at Foxy’s declaration and Foxy’s were filled with hurt and fear. The fox forced down the equivalent of a lump in his throat, fighting back the barrage of emotions hitting him all at once. “Captain…I know everything ya have been doing for us since day one is protect us, but ya can’t keep doing this on your own. Ya need a helping hand. Now, not only is Mikey offering that hand, but so do I! And Bonnie and Chica. We are all here for ye, cap’n!” Foxy gave a toothy grin, raising up his hook dramatically. “We be the Fazbear Family and together there be no demon or monster to hold us down for good! It be time we put an end to this here madness. Wouldn’t ya agree?”

Freddy blinked back a wave of black oily tears that were slipping down his faux fur. He grinned, despite the tears and chuckled. “Have I really been denying help for so long?”

“Ya kind of have, but I don’t blame ya.” Foxy grinned again. “Ya be our captain after all.”

Freddy sighed, slowly nodding his head. “Okay. You’re right, Foxy. It’s time the truth finally gets revealed.” He stood up, stretching his limbs. “The only problem, this isn’t the sort of truth that can be told in one sitting. It’s…kind of a long story, especially if we need to catch Mikey up on everything else.”

“Then we tell him a little bit before and after his shift!” Foxy said. “It go by much faster that way, and he can learn about everything that has been plaguing us then!”

Freddy smiled at the idea. “Not bad, fox.”

“I have me own smarts here and there, captain.” Foxy tapped at his head as he spoke that, offering a cheeky grin.

“Okay, tonight. After Mike’s shift is over, I’ll tell everyone everything.”

The pirate jumped in joy, the metal of his feet clanging harshly on the wooden ground. “Finally!”

The leader chuckled. “You’ve been wanting the full story for a while, haven’t you?”

“Can ya blame me, captain?” Foxy questioned. “Do you remember what happened the day I was finished bein’ made?”

Freddy flinched at the memory. “No, no I remember.” He let out a shudder. “Oh, this isn’t gonna be an easy story to tell everyone, especially to Mikey.”

“Mikey can handle it. I know he can.”

The bear nodded in agreement. “Yeah, I think you’re-“ suddenly all lights went off in the building and both Foxy and Freddy froze in fear, “right…”

There was the sound of Mike shouting out a curse at the sudden blackout and he could be heard frantically shuffling around his room.

Foxy tensed, looking at Freddy in panic. “Ca-captain?” he stuttered.

Freddy didn’t respond, just straighten up in his spot and then take a slow step forward. His footsteps were the only noise Foxy could hear as they thudded across the restaurant and to the hall. The fox animatronic felt terror hit him in his endoskeleton and bolted to his leader.

“Captain! Ya got to get a hold of ya self!” He grabbed at Freddy’s arm, trying to pull him back, but the bear just swiped his limb away, shaking the weaker animatronic off easily. “N-no! Stop it! Ya hear me, demon! I know ya in there! Release Freddy, no-“ Foxy let out a cry as his own body started acting up. He grunted, swiping at the air in an attempt to stop the fuzziness that was taking over his vision or maybe to grab at Freddy again. Both were futile as his judgement seemed to vanish and the only thought crossing his mind now was to get to the office. Get the nightguard. Get _him!_

Mike, meanwhile, sat in terror in his seat. He didn’t realize just how much power he was wasting, keeping Bonnie and Chica at bay. The two had decided to tag team it, staying at both sides of the doors and not leaving for long. Before Mike knew it, the lights went off and the doors stayed wide open. He could barely make out the silhouette of both the rabbit and chicken outside the door, but they didn’t dare to move an inch, just stare ominously at the nightguard. In the distant, he could make out Foxy’s cries to Freddy, but soon even the fox went silent. That left only one noise in the entire restaurant. The heavy footsteps of Freddy, and they were very close.

Mike trembled in his seat, taking a peek to his right at the door, but Chica stood there to keep him in place. Bonnie kept him in from the left. Mike was trapped. “Gu-guys, come on. You have to realize it’s me!” the guard tried, but it did nothing.

Soon enough there was a dark figure standing next to Bonnie. Freddy arrived. It was hard to make out all of the bear’s detail, but there was no doubt in the guard’s mind that Freddy was the one towering before him. Before he could respond, there was the gentle sound of Freddy’s music box playing. Mike recognized it as the same tune Freddy would sing to during the day, but while normally it was meant to calm and entertain children, it was more like a song of death to the night guard. It chimed around the office just as the lights of Freddy’s eyes lit up, flickering to the music.

“Fr-freddy?” Mike tried again. He tried to get through to his animatronic friends, but no one made a move to stop and return to normal. Did I already fail? Mike questioned himself as he heard the music suddenly die and the lights fade away. “I’m sorry guys…I really did want to try…” He closed his eyes, preparing for the worse.

Suddenly there was a new noise. An alarm. Mike felt his eyes snap open to see the lights return and the alarm clock blaring out, a bright green six! His shift was over. Mike gasped, confused by the miraculous return of the power. He looked around and saw Freddy looming over him, Bonnie and Foxy behind him and Chica to Mike’s other side.

Freddy blinked a few times before realization hit him. He let out a yelp, backing up, not realizing just how close Bonnie and Foxy were. He tumbled into the two, and the three shouted in shock as they all crashed to the ground. Chica and Mike watched confused as the three struggled and fought one another on the ground, trying to get back up on their feet.

“Freddy, Foxy, get the hell off me!” Bonnie shouted, being at the bottom of the pile.

“I be trying!” the pirate shot back.

“Sorry guys…” Freddy forced out, pushing against Foxy to stand up. He groaned before helping the two up. Once everyone was back on their feet, the bear turned a concern look to the night guard. “Mikey! Are you okay? I…I didn’t do anything to you, did I?”

Mike gulped down the lump in his throat, wiping away the tears that prickled his eyes. “N-no! No, you didn’t. I’m fine.” He offered the bear a smile. “Really, I’m fine.”

Freddy didn’t look convinced, looking around the office to see just how close he really got to hurting Mike. He was so grateful it was six. He let out a breath before pulling the man into a tight hug. “Oh, thank goodness.”

“Oof,” Mike puffed out as he was slammed into Freddy’s chest. He blinked in confusion before sighing, letting his nerves and anxiety finally loose, hugging the bear back and letting his tears escape. He was close to getting killed. Mike would not tell the others just how much that probably traumatized him, but he would relish in their comfort. He rested against the familiar feel of Freddy’s suit, rubbing his face along the soft fur. He was alive. That’s all that mattered now. And as the others joined in on the hug, Mike made it a vow this would be the last time this would happen for the group. No more close calls. Mike would be sure of that.

 

* * *

 

“So,” Mike settled down on the stage, running his hands over his head, “now what?”

It’s only been twenty minutes since six and the nightguard and animatronics were settling along the main showroom. Freddy sat next to Mike, lazily twirling his hat with his paws. Bonnie was leaning on the wall next to the stage, strumming a quiet tune on his guitar. Chica was sitting across from Freddy and Mike, playing with her cupcake, and Foxy was sitting backwards on a chair, leaning on the back of the chair.

“Captain?” Foxy started. “You and I did get a plan going, remember?”

Bonnie’s ear twitched in curiosity, ceasing his guitar playing. “A plan? What kind of plan?”

Freddy shrugged. “I wouldn’t call it much of a plan, more of an explanation of what is going on around here.” He looked over at Mike. “Maybe then we can finally figure out a way to put a proper end to our situation.”

Chica jumped at the news. “W-wait? You’re finally gonna tell us everything, Freddy? That doesn’t sound like you!”

Freddy shot the chicken a look. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Chica shrugged, looking sheepish. “It’s just…you know, you never really talked to us about this kind of thin before. You usually just keep this all to yourself.”

Bonnie barked out a laugh that turned into a snicker. Freddy turned a heated glare to the rabbit. “And what is so funny?”

Bonnie just shook his head, returning to playing his guitar. “Chica’s got a point, dude. I’ve known you the longest and you suck at opening up and being all emotional and stuff.”

“I am not!”

The guitarist rolled his eyes, smirking in the bear’s direction. “Dude, you are as easy to talk to as a wall, with the personality to boot.”

Freddy did not look pleased with Bonnie’s words, glaring darkly at his rabbit brother before turning around in a huff. “Okay, first, you have to stop calling me, ‘dude.’ Second of all, I can open up and be emotional!”

The purple animatronic laughed again. “Sorry, you’re right. You can be, when you get offended and start acting like a big baby.” He pushed himself off the wall, walking closer to the lead singer. “And I’m never gonna stop calling you, ‘dude’.” He smirked, giving Freddy a challenging look.

Freddy returned the look with his glare before sighing and giving up. He turned to bring his focus on everybody rather than Bonnie. “Okay, look. It is no secret I’ve been keeping a lot of things to myself. It’s only because…the truth about our situation, the truth about everything that has happened here under our restaurants, it’s not an easy thing to admit to.” He passed a shame filled look over to Mike. “It’s not something that is easy to hear either. But, you, Mike…” he smiled at the guard, “you really are determined to save us and put an end to this, and I believe you can. It’s not going to be easy, but if there is anyone out in this world who can probably put an end to this bloodshed that has been taking place here, it will be you. But you can’t do anything if you don’t know what you are up against. So, I’m willing to tell you everything I know.”

Mike nodded his head in understanding. He went to respond when suddenly the front doors opened and there came in Mr. Fazbear.

The old man blinked in shock at what he saw before glowering at everyone. “What on earth are you still doing here, Mike? And why are you idiots not in your position?!” He barked the last question at the animatronics. He cast a glance at Foxy and tightened his hands into fists. “And you! You should be in your room! You don’t belong out here!”

“Hey!” Mike snapped, standing up. “Don’t talk to them like that!” He marched over to the man, ignoring the way the animatronics tried to stop him. “We were having a pleasant conversation, for your information. The restaurant won’t open until eleven anyways. They have plenty of time to sit around and talk.”

Mr. Fazbear turned his glare onto his nightguard. “You really have been pushing my buttons lately, boy. You need to watch that damn mouth of yours.”

“I’ll do as I please.” Mike crossed his arms, not backing down.

“Mikey…” Foxy could be heard whispering warningly to the young man, but both humans ignored the pirate.

Mr. Fazbear huffed, clearly not happy. “I’m heading to my office. You better hope to be out of here before the rest of my employees start coming in, you got me?” He started to walk away, knowing Mike was keeping his eyes trained on his back. When Mr. Fazbear approached his office he stopped, turning only his head back to face the guard. “You better be careful Mike. You are on thin ice and its cracking under your feet. You better hope you don’t fall under before it’s too late.”

“I appreciate the warning, _sir…”_ Mike turned back to his friends, returning to his spot on the stage. Mr. Fazbear just responded with a huff before closing and locking his office door behind him with an audible click of a key. “Oh, so _his_ office has normal doors…” Mike noted, glaring at the room.

“Mikey, you shouldn’t fight with Mr. Fazbear…” Chica spoke up when the man was gone.

The guard shrugged, not looking to care. “That bastard has it coming. Not gonna pull back from a man who throws people in here knowing they could get hurt or worse.”

“Still,” Freddy said next. “I would hate to see you cause too much trouble. He can still fire you; you know. He’s not exactly a patient man.”

“Well, I’m not gonna let him shit talk you guys anymore. I don’t know how long he’s been treating you guys like irredeemable monsters, but no more!” Mike made a face to show just how serious he was about the topic.

The animatronics all smiled fondly at the human. “You really are something else, Mikey,” it was Bonnie to say that.

Mike grinned, pleased with the compliment, before looking at Freddy. “Okay then…so I guess I don’t have a lot of time here before Mr. Fazbear tosses me out, buuuut…” He trailed off, giving Freddy a wide-eyed expression as he prompted for the story that has been hinted at for so long.

Freddy laughed, shaking his head. “Okay, okay I got it. Put those puppy dog eyes away.” He chuckled again. “How is it those eyes can still win me over even when you are an adult?”

Mike smirked. “Natural charm,” he explained.

That was rewarded with a roll of the eyes and a gentle push from the bear. The playful mood didn’t last long, however, as Freddy let out a deep sigh, running his paws over his eyes. “Okay, where to begin?”

Bonnie tensed up, already sensing where this would start. “Maybe…” he started to suggest, drawing the bear’s attention. “Maybe back at the diner…with…Golden and Spring?”

Mike looked over at Foxy and Chica. The two looked back and shrugged. They didn’t have much of a reaction to hearing the name. Bonnie and Freddy however looked very tense, as if even hearing and saying the names was a great internal struggle.

“Uh…?” Mike broke the silence that followed. “Who are they?”

Freddy gave a sad smile. “They…they are…were my older brothers, in a sense. I know we animatronics don’t have siblings like humans would, but that didn’t stop us all from seeing each other as family. Kind of like how I look at Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy as siblings. Golden and Spring, those two treated me like their little brother and Bonnie too.”

Bonnie gave a scoff, expression darkening more. That gained the others attention, but no one questioned it due to the anger that instantly emitted from the rabbit.

Freddy did place a comforting paw on his shoulder. He knew the reasoning for Bonnie’s reaction, but didn’t press. He knew of the sensitive topic that would bring on. So instead he changed up the subject as he started to speak again. “Anyways, Golden and Spring, they were the very first animatronics ever made for the Fazbear company. The first bear and rabbit, actually. They mostly performed in the first Fazbear location. Fredbear’s Family Diner. A lot smaller than here, but it had the same function. Have happy animatronic animals sing and dance for kids and perform birthday parties all the time. For the longest time it was very popular.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that place,” Mike said confused.

“Yeah, well after some…scandal, the place kind of died down. I was sad to see it go. Especially since ever since that day Fredbear and Spring were kind of put on the back burners.”

“Fredbear?”

Freddy shook his head with a smile. “Sorry, Golden. Fredbear was his real name, but everyone eventually started to call him Golden.” He smiled as he remembered his older bear brother. “He was the best, you know. I don’t know why it was decided to add me to the diner and not just keep Fredbear and Spring, but it was. I was kind of meant to be a replacement but despite all that, Fredbear, well, he welcomed me in with open arms."

 

* * *

 

_“Hello?”_

_Freddy shifted at the noise, slowly opening his eyes. He flinched at the sudden harsh lighting before shutting them again. He heard a light laugh, deep but also warm and sincere. He tried to open his eyes again and when he did, he was greeted with the sight of a large yellow bear, at least a few inches taller than himself._

_The bear offered a kind smile. “Hello Freddy. It’s so nice to meet you finally. We’ve been waiting a long time, little brother.”_

_“Brother?” Freddy tilted his head, leaning a bit closer, almost like a real-life cub, mimicking actions a real animal would take._

_The bear laughed some more before stepping back to let Freddy get a better look of their surroundings. “Welcome to Fredbear’s Family Diner. I’m Fredbear.” There was an annoyed scoff from the back and both bears turned, Fredbear with his own annoyance showing and Freddy confused. “And that…” the yellow bear gestured to a small stage where a rabbit stood, “is Spring Bonnie.”_

_Spring Bonnie was yellow like Fredbear, but while the bear had a more golden sheen to his fur, Spring Bonnie had a darker hue. Freddy took this time to also notice that both the bear and rabbit had matching purple bowties. Fredbear had a purple top hat however, Spring Bonnie did not._

_Spring Bonnie gave a glare over at the bears, bending over to pick up a shiny green guitar. He strummed at it for a few seconds before starting to play a song. “Don’t introduce me to that replacement.”_

_“He isn’t a replacement, Spring…”_

_Spring stepped up to a microphone, letting his voice echo around from the speakers. “I beg to differ~” He spoke out in a mocking sing-song way, the music of his guitar flowing along with it. Freddy noticed the rabbit’s voice wasn’t as deep as Fredbear’s, but it had a sharp edge to it unlike the bear’s._

_Fredbear shook his head, sighing out tiredly. “Don’t mind him,” he whispered to Freddy._

_Spring wasn’t done however, as he jumped down from the stage, his feet leaving a heavy thud behind. “First time ever since we get a new animatronic and it just so happen to be a new better-looking bear? Suspicious, if you ask me.” The rabbit started a slow pace over to the two, intense green eyes locking onto Freddy. Freddy would be lying if he said he wasn’t intimidated a little bit. “So, if he ain’t here because he’s gonna replace ya, then why the hell is he here?” He stopped, just inches away from Freddy. It was then the brown bear noticed just how tall the rabbit was compared to him. Both yellow animatronics looked to be similar in height, Spring only being a bit taller due to his floppy ears, but Freddy was definitely shorter in comparison. Spring leaned closer, getting in the bear’s face, his glare only turning harsher. “So, could you answer me, Freddy? Why the hell are ya here, if ya ain’t gonna replace Goldie Locks here?”_

_“That’s enough, Spring.” Fredbear pushed the rabbit away, stepping between the two. “It doesn’t matter why Freddy is here. Replace me or not, there isn’t a difference.”_

_“But Goldie Locks-!”_

_“No buts!” the golden bear stepped up to Spring. “We’ve discussed this, Spring. Now calm down and give a polite hello to our new little brother.”_

_Spring’s ears fell down, pinning behind him to show his agitation. When the bear didn’t let up, he sighed and gave a solemn look over at the newest animatronic. “Fine…hello, Freddy…”_

_“U-uh, hello?”_

_Fredbear let out a huff, smiling to show he was happy with Spring. He turned back to the new bear and offered a welcoming look. “Like I said, don’t mind him. Spring Bonnie-“_

_“Just Spring!”_

_Fredbear gave the rabbit a teasing look. “Spring can be a bit of a jerk from time to time, but he means well in the end. He’s just scared I’m gonna go away and won’t admit he’ll miss his big brother.”_

_“No, I won’t!” If Spring could, he would blush. Instead he turned away embarrassed, marching back on the stage and started to play his guitar again._

_Fredbear laughed at his brother’s antics before focusing back on Freddy. “Anyways, I should get you ready for everything. Our owner, Mr. Fazbear, and our creator, a man named Scott just stepped in the other room so they will be back shortly. In the meantime, let’s get you settled in, shall we?”_

_Freddy nodded, excited for what he was made to do. “Yes! I’m supposed to sing for children, correct?”_

_“Mmhmm!” the older animatronic hummed. “You’ll be backup singer for a while. Here, let’s show you the ropes.” He gently guided Freddy along, noticing a challenging look crossing the rabbit’s face as they approached. “Spring, no funny business, I swear!”_

* * *

 

Freddy chuckled at the memory he told to the others. “Spring was always a bit rude, but Fredbear was right about one thing, he always meant well. He did end up warming up to me eventually. Even treated me as part of the family. In the end, I learned a lot from Fredbear and Spring. I don’t think I would be the leader I am today if it weren’t for them.”

Mike looked over at Bonnie and noticed he didn’t look so happy at hearing all that. “You okay?” he questioned the rabbit.

Bonnie blinked in surprise, not expecting the question. “Huh, who me? O-oh…yeah,” his expression went back to being crestfallen. “I’m…fine.”

Freddy patted Bonnie on the shoulder again before speaking up. “Bonnie had some issues when it comes to Spring…” was all he said.

“I don’t want to talk about it now…” Bonnie muttered, crossing his arms. “Just get on with the story already…”

Freddy frowned, wanting to comfort his brother, but knew it wasn’t the right time. He made a mental note to talk to Bonnie later before nodding in agreement to what he said. “Yes, you’re right. I still haven’t really gotten to the point of this story.” He looked over at Mike before sighing. “Anyways, it was only a few months since I was made when things changed. Fredbear, Spring and I were having a pretty good day. It was a birthday party for a little girl, and everything seemed to be going swell actually.”

 

* * *

 

_Freddy carried a tray of cake around the group of children who all cheered happily. He could see from the corner of his eye, Fredbear and Spring singing an upbeat party song to the kids, but they both gave their own versions of a proud expression to the bear for doing so well._

_It was the first birthday party Freddy got to be a part of and all week the brown bear couldn’t stop his excitement as he would go into detail about everything he would do for the child. Fredbear and Spring would laugh fondly at the younger animatronic, telling him to take it easy._

_“It’s no big deal,” Spring would say to him. “Just a normal day, just more kids and more cake than usual.”_

_Freddy didn’t care, however. He would still go over every possible activity he could do for the children to make them happy. He was so thrilled he was practically jumping in joy as he delivered slice after slice of chocolate cake to the children while his brothers sang._

_Freddy caught sight of Mr. Fazbear keeping a close eye on everything. He was always giving the animatronics calculating looks, as if waiting for the day they would mess up. Freddy noticed over the months he’s been around that the old man was especially harsh on Fredbear. He would occasionally let out threatening remarks of the yellow bear being scrapped for part and having Freddy finally take over like he was supposed to._

_None of the animatronics understood why, but Fredbear would let the comments come as if he was accepting his inevitable fate. Spring would fight for him, but it didn’t matter to Mr. Fazbear. The only reason, Freddy assumed, that the older bear hasn’t been taken away yet was due to the man who built all the animatronics, a quirky man not too much younger than Mr. Fazbear, by the name of Scott. Freddy liked him, and the fact that Scott would always put up a fight for Fredbear and managed to convince Mr. Fazbear on multiple times to keep the golden bear was definitely a plus in Freddy’s eyes._

_Despite the looming presence of Mr. Fazbear always watching them, Freddy didn’t have much issues with his life. And today he would prove it. He would make today the best birthday party ever!_

_Besides the party, the rest of the restaurant remained empty. It was a rather slow day and most of the guest that did come decided not to stay when they saw the pile of excitable kids running around. Because of this, Freddy was tasked by Mr. Fazbear to make sure all the kids stayed on one side of the building. That left the far-left side of the diner, where there were more tables and nothing interesting for kids, empty. Freddy didn’t mind it, since it just made his job easier. Occasionally adults would take a break and head over to the emptier side of the building to catch a smoke break or stare out the window on that side. The brown bear decided to leave the adults be. He was there to bring joy to the kids, not the adults. So, that only meant Freddy also stayed on the more active side._

_The singing duo on stage finish their song and said they would take a small break. Freddy looked around, seeing all the kids were distracted enough with the cake he delivered to them and also went for a break, walking over to the stage, a spring in his step._

_Speaking of spring, the rabbit knelt down and gave a smile to his brother. He lifted an arm and the two clapped their paws together in a high-five. “Great job, little brother!”_

_“Am I doing good?!” Freddy asked with a mix of nervousness and excitement._

_“Freddy, they’re kids. You can put on a sock-puppet show and that would be enough for them,” Spring said with a roll of his eyes._

_Fredbear batted at the back of Spring’s head before offering a reassuring smile to the younger bear. “You did wonderfully, Freddy. I told you, you had nothing to worry about.”_

_“I know. This is just my first birthday party I’m looking after. I want everything to be-“_

_“Perfect, we know.” Fredbear laughed. “Look, all you have to do is smile at the kids. Offer a joke or story here and there. Maybe sing along with one of our songs. There really isn’t much else to it.”_

_“Wow, sure are downplaying a birthday party,” Spring grinned, bumping his arm against the older bear. “I think I’m wearing off on ya.”_

_“I’m just trying to keep Freddy calm, Spring.”_

_Spring hopped down the stage, slinging an arm around Freddy. “Ah, little Freddy’s calm enough. You’re just overprotective.”_

_“Even if I am, there is nothing wrong with giving some reassuring words to our brother, Spring.”_

_“And here we go…” Spring muttered, shaking his head._

_Freddy chuckled as the two broke out into a small and quiet argument. It wasn’t uncommon for the brown bear to witness the two do this. It was rather often, actually. Yet, Freddy knew there was never any real malice between the two and most of the time their arguments would turn into pleasant jokes._

_The younger animatronic was about to speak to get the two to stop before a child noticed when suddenly there was a loud terrified wail coming from the other side of the room. The three animatronics instantly tensed up, turning their heads to see a middle-aged woman pale as a ghost, staring out the window on the emptier side of the diner._

_Mr. Fazbear was by her side in seconds, his voice ringing out through the quiet diner. All the guest, children included, watched the two as Mr. Fazbear tried to console the sobbing woman. She was shakenly pointing at the window, blubbering out words that were impossible to understand._

_Freddy began to move on his own, Fredbear noticing too late to stop him though his arm reached out none-the-less. “Freddy!” he tried in vain._

_Freddy continued to walk forward, meeting Mr. Fazbear. The man spared a glance at the bear but ignored him as he gently passed the woman to him. He gave a warning look, as if Freddy would do something to her before stepping over to the window to see what made the lady so terrified._

_Mr. Fazbear instantly backed up, his own skin growing pale at what he witnessed. “Oh my god!” he shouted. A few more adults came up, one taking the woman from Freddy’s arms and the others also going to look. That’s when all hell broke loose. All the adults started screaming in panic. Some running out of the restaurant in seconds. Others screamed at Mr. Fazbear and a few other employees to call 911._

_Freddy didn’t understand what was going on. He just watched as the adults grabbed their scared and confused children, hugging them close as others started pacing the diner, screaming for answers to questions Freddy didn’t get._

_Fredbear and Spring approached their younger brother, staying on either side. The two looked just as lost as the brown bear, exchanging looks. Then their gaze snapped to the window. They shared one more exchange before walking over to it together. At first, they only saw the backs of adults crowding over something on the ground. Then a few of the humans moved and Freddy then saw red. It looked like paint that was splattered on the ground. He quirked his head. That didn’t seem right. Why would the adults freak out so much over spilled paint?_

_Fredbear leaned in a bit closer, getting a different angle. He was the first to see the full picture. His eyes went wide, and his ears drooped. Freddy and Spring noticed, trying to see from the golden bear’s angle. Spring being a little rougher, shoving the stunned Fredbear away. That’s when Freddy finally saw what was causing such a commotion._

_There, sprawled out on the ground was the body of a child. His skin was paper white and made a harsh contrast against his green and yellow stripped shirt and chocolate brown hair. Though all colors were drowned out by the pool of blood that was still flowing from the ugly gash in his neck. His eyes were shut peacefully, as if he were asleep, but Freddy knew. He knew this wasn’t like when a human fell asleep. This was something far worse._

_A whimper escaped Freddy as he backed up with Spring. The rabbit shook, also understanding the severity of the situation. He looked around, as if this was a bad dream, but no signs that this was fake was in sight. He looked to Fredbear, mouth open as if he was about to speak, but nothing came out. He turned to Freddy, seeing the bear was beginning to break down, oily tears dripping down his muzzle. Spring fought back his own tears, managing to keep them at bay as he scooped Freddy into a hug. It was all the rabbit could think of to do, mind still racing with the sight he just witnessed._

_Fredbear stared at his younger brothers. His body felt cold, colder than it should, and that was coming from someone who was made of metal. He stopped to look at the scared humans, praying they could stop this situation, and everything would be fine again. Then he and his brothers could go back to entertaining the children and that boy outside…that boy outside he would be…okay. Everything would be okay! Everything would return to normal. No more bad! Just happy and fun times here at the restaurant! Yeah!_

_When the three heard sirens rushing to the restaurant and Mr. Fazbear bolt outside, Fredbear’s hopes were quickly crushed. He could barely see paramedics swooping in to take the very limp child. It didn’t take much longer for police to come charging the area, most mainly stood outside, but a few came barging in the diner._

_The older bear heard sobbing and his head snapped over to see Freddy clinging to the shaken Spring. The two looked over at Fredbear, as if he had the answers. Fredbear thought he should. He was their leader, their older brother. He was supposed to look out for both of them. But it was at that moment, the golden bear realized he was at a loss. He tried to give the two a brave face. Tried to fight through the dilemma of seeing what they saw, but it was pointless as his face fell in defeat. He spread his arms out and wrapped them securely around his brothers. Freddy cuddled into the embrace, burying his face in Fredbear’s fur. Spring seemed to hesitate, but once his eyes locked with the older animatronic, he broke. Tears slipping down and he too cried silently._

* * *

 

Freddy let out a shuddering sigh, unable to look at anyone as he remembered his first trauma. “When that little boy was found, none of us knew what to do. Not even Mr. Fazbear. Fredbear, Spring and I, we never even thought of the idea of death, but to have our first experience be with a small child. A child who should have just been living his carefree life, free of any danger…I don’t know...” the bear shrugged. “It was not an easy thing to experience. Hell, I don’t think it was easy on anyone to see. No one was the same after that.”

He paused, letting the story sink in before finishing off with a few more line.

“Shortly after that Bonnie was finished being made. We needed to move from the bad publicity, so Mr. Fazbear bought a new building to start a new restaurant. We tried to move on, but…it wasn’t easy, let’s just say that.”

Mike couldn’t believe what he heard. He never predicted that a death of a child would come up in this story. He was preparing himself for gruesome demises of adults, most likely nightguards, but a child…Mike was scared to ask the question that popped up in his head.

“He was…murdered, wasn’t he?” It was an obvious question, but one he still needed to hear the answer to.

Freddy couldn’t speak it, but he did nod his head after a moment to collect himself. The bear also took notice of Foxy and Chica at that time. They looked scared and shocked at the story. Bonnie also looked perturbed, but not as much. The rabbit did know of the story of the murdered child, but only in passing. He didn’t realize just how much it effected his older brothers. Foxy and Chica, well, they didn’t have the slightest idea about the events that took place so many years ago.

“So,” Mike started up with the real question he wanted an answer to. “The killer, he was caught, right? He’s in jail now, right?”

Freddy tensed at the question. He stared at Mike, eyes wide, as if he were physically scared to answer the question. He went to open his mouth when a different voice spoke out.

“No.”

All turned to see Mr. Fazbear standing at the door to his office. He didn’t look angry anymore. He just looked…sad. Like all the joy in his life was drained out of him. He gave a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No, Mike. He was not caught. He got away with murder.”

“Mr. Fazbear?”

“Head on out now, kid.” Mr. Fazbear stuffed his hands in his pockets and turned around. “You’re upsetting my machines. They need to get ready for work soon.”

“But, but I still have so many questions!” Mike stood up, not ready to end this.

“I said, beat it, Mike!” Mr. Fazbear shot the guard a dirty look over his shoulder. When the young man was silent, he let out another breathy sigh before entering his office. “We got work to do…”

Freddy hesitated before placing a paw on Mike’s shoulder. “Go easy on him. This is the one time I can sympathize with Mr. Fazbear. He was just as shaken up by that day as I was.”

Mike let out a long breath through his nose. He shook his head before standing. “I see…well, I think I overstayed my welcome.” He looked up at Freddy. It was then Mike noticed just how destroyed Freddy looked. Has he really kept all this pain and trauma to himself for all this time? When exactly was this? How long has Freddy been silently suffering. Mike couldn’t stop himself as he slammed into the bear, hugging him tightly.

Freddy let out a shocked noise, looking down at Mike. His body moved with a silent sob before he leaned over and hugged Mike back. Very quickly, the other animatronics did the same, hugging their older brother tightly.

When the group hug finally disbanded, Mike gave the bear a reassuring smile. He said a quick goodbye, promising to be back early for his shift later that night and made his way out the building. Once he was outside, he watched from the window as the animatronics returned to the stage, Foxy going back to hide in his room.

That’s when it dawned on Mike. This was just the beginning of the story. Mike realized all he heard had happened before Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy were even finished! Probably before Chica and Foxy were even thought up in the mind of their creator! And the entire story clearly involved everyone else. Just how much deeper would this story go? How much more death would Mike learn about? And just how did this all connect with the animatronics going murder crazy at night?!

“Oh, Mike. Just what have you gotten yourself into?” He stepped away from the building, making a slow journey back to his home, not noticing the flash of a shadow racing across the window and through the showroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed chapter two. I really had fun writing this chapter and I can't wait to get chapter three ready! Please leave a kudos and comment. I really would appreciate hearing what you guys think. Even if it is something simple, all comments are welcomed here. ;3


	3. New Familiar Faces

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hidden below the surface of Freddy's Pizzeria, four forgotten animatronics wake up after a long sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please enjoy the latest chapter. More too come soon!

It was the middle of the day. Freddy and the gang were all doing what they did best during this time. Sing out overly happy sounding songs and speak to each other in a very higher pitch and goofy manner to entertain the children. They were in full work mode, not paying mind to anything other than the joyful cheers of kids and making sure nothing bad would happen under their watchful gaze.

Back in Pirate’s Cove, Foxy would sit just outside the door. He wasn’t allowed to be with the children anymore, but that didn’t stop him from trying to gain as much experience with the energetic kids as he could. Foxy remembered the short time he would get to interact with the children during the day. He had so much fun playing pirate themed games and telling tales of a made-up life out on the sea. Foxy would then always end his days with a sea shanty, enrapturing the adventurous kids in a world of fantasy. The fox yearned for those days again, but with the dirty state Pirate’s Cove is in and Foxy’s own broken form, the animatronic started to doubt Mr. Fazbear would ever get Scott to return to the restaurant and repair the fox. It was sad for the fox, but as long as he was still around and kicking, able to hear the children as stayed under Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica’s watch, that would be enough for the pirate.

Foxy was currently making a careful journey closer out Pirate’s Cove. If he was careful, he could step out in the hall without a kid or parent noticing him. He’s done it a few times, but Foxy knew he had to be careful. He couldn’t let anyone see him. Over the years he was showing off more and more of his endoskeleton. That mixed with his broken jaw, he certainly wasn’t a pleasant sight for anyone. So, he stood in the back, backing up so he was more in the employee section of the building, closer to Mike’s office. He gave a small smile when he noticed a pair of kids rushing away from an arcade game with a wade of tickets trailing behind them.

Foxy was content with just watching for the remainder of the day until Mike would return, but that didn’t seem to be the case anymore, as Foxy heard a sudden thump from behind him. He tensed, turning around. There shouldn’t be anyone over here. Most of the human employees were out in the showroom or in the kitchen. The section Foxy was in was usually only preoccupied by the day and night guards and occasionally Mr. Fazbear. But the day guard was currently out amongst the kids, leaving Foxy in this section of the building alone.

He raised a hook, ready for a fight, and stepped deeper in. He was getting closer to Mike’s office, keeping his eyes peeled for anything suspicious. He knew he heard something, but so far there wasn’t any sign of something out of place or maybe an intruder. He got as far as the left door to Mike’s office, peeking inside. The room was just as empty and messy as it was when the night guard left earlier that day.

“Huh?” Foxy puffed out, looking confused. He did one more survey of the room, but still saw nothing odd. “Maybe twas nothing…” he muttered, lowering his hook. He hesitated before stepping away, walking down the hall and to his room.

What Foxy didn’t realize was he did in fact hear something suspicious. On his way back, he passed a door that always remained locked tight. The door lead to the basement of the building and only Mr. Fazbear had access to the room. He rarely ever went inside, so most of the time, the door became just something in the background for the animatronics and most night guards of the past.

After the fox was gone and out of sight, a small dark shadow sprung up in front of the door from the floorboards. It stayed there in place for a moment, as if staring at the door before it slunk back down to the ground and slithered through the closed door. The shadow continued onward, slinking down a set of wooden stairs before approaching a heap on the ground.

The shadow fused with the heap before the object started to move. First a long, thin limb shot out, an arm. Then another arm. Two legs sprung out, bracing against the ground with the arms. The for appendages pushed until a body could be seen rising. The heap on the ground revealed into the body of a skinny animatronic. The body was an inky black save for the white stripes that covered the ends of each limb and on the chest were three large white buttons. The head of the animatronic was that of a clown mask. Mostly white with hollow black eyes. Two symmetrical purple streaks lined down the face, starting at the bottom of the eyes and cascaded down to the end of the mask. Rosy red cheeks lined up at the corners of a permanently grinning hollow mouth and two dashes of red made up the illusion of lips for the mouth.

The animatronic was known as the Puppet. Puppet stood there in the basement, slowly moving his head from side to side. He took a cautious step before coming to the edge of the basement. Before him were more animatronics. They were powered down, all slumped over in a messy pile. There didn’t seem to have been much care in how these animatronics were placed, and instead they were laying down as if thrown against the wall.

The only exception was one smaller animatronic. It was more humanoid looking, resembling a young boy. He was round, in both the body and the head, wearing a multicolored stripe shirt and a matching propeller cap. His stubby hands were just as circular as the rest of his body, one arm holding a sign that read “Balloons!” and the other holding up a deflated balloon that hung down limply at his feet. He laid on the ground in a much more graceful position, eyes also closed as if he were asleep. He was also a few feet away from the other animatronics, leaning his head on the wall.

The Puppet lowered a claw like hand onto the small animatronic before his gaping mouth finally twitched, moving along with the words it spoke. His voice was high pitched, sounding more like a child, but there was an ominous echo that vibrated each syllable in an eerie way. “Balloon Boy, wake up!”

The smaller robot blinked his eyes open before finally settling his gaze on the Puppet. He let out a gasp, standing up. “Boss! You’re back!”

Puppet stepped back as Balloon Boy shot over as if he wanted a hug. The taller animatronic sneered down at the robotic boy before looking over at the pile of broken metal that was the remaining animatronics. “Yeah, I’m back…and we have a problem, BB.”

“Really? What is it? Did you find the Purple Guy?”

A dark look crossed the Puppet’s face as he narrowed his eyes down at BB. “No…” he hissed before sighing. “Well, I don’t know…but that’s not the problem. It’s that new night guard.”

“Well that’s easy!” BB said with a smile. “Just kill him like you killed all the others.”

“You think I don’t know that, idiot!” Puppet wracked the back of BB’s head. “I’m trying! But it’s Freddy and the others…they are warning the night guard and fighting back more than usual. They…know this night guard. Before he came to the restaurant that is. Their stupid friendship is messing with my plans.”

BB stared up at Puppet, thinking over the news. “So, what do we do then, Boss?”

“We continue as always. Kill the night guard and any other that idiot Mr. Fazbear hires next. We have to keep going on until we find _him._ ” Puppet stepped closer to the broken and shut down animatronics, eyeing them. “But we need to add a new, let’s call it challenge, for this night guard. Maybe then this, Mikey, as they have been calling him, will finally lose.”

BB tilted his head confused before also looking at the animatronics that his boss hasn’t stopped staring at. “Wait, them? You’re gonna wake them up!?”

“Yep!” Puppet seemed pleased when BB realized his idea. He gave a cheerful smile, but the malice that laced the intent seeped through in a chilling way. “It’ll take some energy, but I think I can wake them up with my powers.”

BB jumped excitedly. “Who are you gonna wake up first!?”

Puppet shrugged, not particularly caring. “Doesn’t matter. I should be able to wake up each one with ease. I’m just gonna be tired after it’s over.”

BB suddenly frowned, lowering down in dejection. “Boss, what if they don’t cooperate? They aren’t like Freddy and the others after all.”

Puppet nodded. “Yeah, you’re right. But their faulty night modes should still affect them.” Puppet chuckled, lowering his hand down and resting it against the head of a brown bear. “That’s all I need for the night guard’s life to get a little more interesting.”

Dark shadows twisted out from Puppet’s hands, whipping about like snakes before shooting into the head of the bear animatronic. The body of the bear shook violently, twitching and spasming as the dark magic did its job. Puppet pulled back as soon as the bear stopped shaking. The two active animatronics waited.

The eyelids began to flutter open, a dim light emitted from the glassy eyeballs, before the bear stiffly moved his head and looked up. The bear was similar looking to Freddy, but he was significantly smaller. His fur was more of a lighter brown, having the faintest hint of red mixing in the color. His face was rounder than Freddy’s with bright red round cheeks resting on the sides. He wore a black top hat like Freddy, but his had a red stripe along the base of the hat, but he did have the same black bowtie as the other brown bear, his being maybe a bit rounder at the corners.

The bear gasped in fright when he took in his surroundings before moving to stand. He hissed in pain when his legs didn’t want to work at first, but he bit through it until he was standing, albeit a bit shakily. “You…what do you want!?” He spoke in a voice, deep like Freddy’s but with a more youthful feel to it.

Puppet chuckled, ignoring the bear at first as he went to move closer to a light blue rabbit. “Hello Toy Freddy. I’m just waking up some old friends, that’s all.”

Toy Freddy gasped when he saw Puppet reaching for the rabbit, letting out a sound that was similar to a growl before pushing his way between the two. He raised his arms up protectively to keep the Puppet at bay. “Don’t touch him!”

“So, you want me to keep your siblings in this state?” Puppet pointed at the three remaining animatronics, making sure Toy Freddy got a good look at their broken-up appearance.

Toy Freddy did notice, and his ears sank down and his position also fell dejectedly. Puppet smirked, snaking an arm across the bear’s shoulders. Toy Freddy instantly went stiff shooting a glare at the Puppet.

“Tragic, right? Wouldn’t it be better if you just let me wake them up like you?”

“You’re up to something.” It wasn’t a question. Toy Freddy knew exactly that the Puppet wasn’t doing this to be kind to them. He wanted something; the bear just didn’t know what exactly.

“Does it matter? Of course, I’m up to something. But look at it this way. You and your siblings can be wide away again. Walk around as if you four weren’t thrown away like garbage. Don’t you think you and your siblings deserve that, Toy Freddy?”

The brown animatronic didn’t look pleased with what he was hearing, but he kept passing sad looks down at the others. He looked as if he was struggling with words before he let out a defeated sigh. “Does my opinion even matter to you? You’ll find a way to wake them up no matter how much I intervene.”

“Hey, you’re smarter than you look!” Puppet laughed, releasing the now glaring bear before approaching the blue rabbit again. He repeated his process with Toy Freddy, placing his hand on top of the rabbit’s head and letting his magic seep into the animatronic.

With a jolt, the blue bunny shot up, gasping for the air he didn’t need. He yelped in fear when he saw Puppet before locking his bright green eyes onto the bear. “Fred? What the hell is going on.”

Fred went to the bunny’s side, placing a sympathetic hand on his shoulders. “It’ll be okay, Bon-Bon. Puppet is…” he glared at said robot. “He’s doing something, but we won’t let him get away with it.”

“Oh, shut up already…” Puppet glared back before moving to the smaller chicken robot.

Bon-Bon still looked confused, trying to stand, but found it difficult. “I…I don’t understand! Why are we activated again? Where are the others? Bonnie, Freddy, Chi-aah!” He had knelt, trying to push himself up again, but his knees buckled below him, and he collapsed again.

Fred went to help him, gently pulling his brother up. “Bon-Bon, easy. You are straining yourself.”

“I want answers, damn it, Fred!” Bon-Bon glared at the bear, hating the fact he needed to lean against his leader. “And where the hell are we anyways. Since when does the restaurant have a basement? Ugh, it’s so gross down here. AAAH!” Bon-Bon let out an ear-piercing scream that made Fred, Puppet, and BB flinch. “My fur!” the rabbit screamed, noticing his once sky-blue fur was not coated in grey dust. “It’s ruined!”

“Bon-Bon, do _not_ have a panic attack about dirt right now!” Fred demanded. “We’ll clean you up later, okay?”

“Bu-but, Fred!” the rabbit sobbed, starting to shake. “It’s-it’s-!”

“I know, I know.” Fred hugged the rabbit to his chest, trying to console the panicking animatronic. “Look, calm down. We have bigger things to worry about.” Fred looked back at the Puppet just in time to see he was reviving Toy Chica.

Bon-Bon gasped, oily tears shining his already bright eyes, when he heard the yellow animatronic let out a confused sounding gasp. “Chicky!” He jumped in Fred’s arms, accidently smacking the bear in the face. Bon-Bon either didn’t notice or didn’t care as Fred stumbled back in pain after the hit and ran to the chicken. He hugged his sister tightly, crying into her arms. “Chicky! I’m so glad your awake! I had to deal with the creepy Puppet and _Fred!_ Plus, my fur is a mess! Help me!”

Chicky went back and forth from staring at the Puppet who was glaring down in irritation at the rabbit’s display, the injured Fred who was clutching his face and glaring at Bon-Bon, and Bon-Bon himself who was a sobbing mess. She sighed, irritable. “Why is this my life…?” She gently guided the rabbit on his feet, taking the edge of her bib to wipe away her brother’s tears. “Okay, what the hell is going on and how am I already taking care of another one of Bon’s panic attacks not even two seconds after being activated again?” She glared up at the Puppet and pointed a spare wing his direction. “And why the hell are _you_ here!?”

Puppet smiled at the chicken, slowly moving to the last remaining animatronic that has yet to be woken up. “Nice to see you too, Chicky. No need to worry that pretty little head of yours. Just be happy you all get to have a nice family reunion.” He placed his hand on a pink and white fox animatronic, once again using his magic.

“Yeah!” BB shouted as his boss did his thing. “You dummies just be happy Boss is being so nice right now!”

The three active animal animatronics turned down to look at BB.

Bon-Bon stopped his crying as he gave the smaller robot an annoyed look. “Oh, you’re here too?”

Anger seized up within BB as he puffed out his cheeks and glared at the rabbit. “Why you…!”

“BB, quiet!” Puppet stepped back from the twitching fox, looking exhausted. He grabbed BB by the head, lifting him up. Once the small animatronic was settled in his grip, Puppet gave a dark smile at the other three. “I’m glad we could have this sweet moment, but unfortunately I must leave. It’s been a pleasure.” Shadow tendrils shot out from the ground, making the others back up in fright. They circled around the Puppet before starting to capture him. Puppet didn’t seem to mind as he began to laugh. “Oh,” he spoke up, his body starting to be hidden by the shadowy mass, “and say hello to the night guard for me, won’t you?”

The shadows closed around the Puppet and BB only to dissipate like smoke around everyone. Fred waved his hands in the air to try and clear the black smoke. When it cleared, Puppet and BB were gone from sight. The bear looked around confused, not understanding what was going on. “What? Where did they-?”

Bon-Bon and Chicky had their attention drawn over to the fox animatronic. “Mangle!” they shouted together, approaching the fox.

Mangle was in a very bad shape, especially when compared to the other Toy animatronics. They were practically in pieces. True to their nickname, the fox really was mangled beyond repair. One single glass eye looked up at the others as their body was gently scooped up and helped to stand. “G-g-g-guyssssssss…” they struggled to speak.

“Shh, shh.” Chicky spoke, patting the fox’s head. “Your voice box is still busted. Don’t try to much, okay?”

Mangle seemed to think over Chicky’s words before letting out a reluctant nod.

Bon-Bon felt his eyes begin to glisten with tears again as he looked over Mangle’s damaged state. “This isn’t fair. Why are they still damaged like this? Hasn’t poor Mangle been through enough?”

Chicky ground both sides of her beak together before looking around. “I don’t think the workers here cared much about fixing them up, or any of us for that matter. Where are we?”

“It looks like a basement,” Fred answered. “I don’t think we are in our restaurant anymore. I don’t recall the pizzeria having a room like this.”

“So, what?” Bon-Bon questioned. “We were thrown away in some other random location?”

“I’m not sure…” Fred let out a frustrated groan. “I don’t even know how long we’ve been out. It’s hard to know anything if I don’t even know what this building even is or what year it is.”

Bon-Bon made sure Mangle could stand on their own before walking around with a bit of a struggle. His ears twitched as he listened for any noise that could give them answers. He noticed the stairs, hesitantly pointing at them. “Well, I don’t think we are gonna get any clues down here. There’s like nothing down here but dusty, empty shelves and dirt…” he shuddered. “Lots of dirt…” He cleared his throat. “Besides, I need to clean up my beautiful fur, so let’s just get out of here already.”

“Yeah,” Fred said with a roll of his eyes. “Wouldn’t want you to have a panic attack again.”

“Don’t you mock me, you fat bear!”

“Oh, so we are returning to this, now are we?” Fred asked, giving a challenging look to the rabbit. “I didn’t realize a young lady like yourself would start a fight.”

“The hell did you call me!?” Bon-Bon practically pounced on Fred in rage, reaching up to strangle the bear.

Fred just smirked, easily dodging the attack by stepping to the side.

“Oh no you two don’t!” Chicky screamed, stepping between the two. She shot them both an infuriated look, making them both freeze in fright. “I’m tired, confused, scared, and lost!” she started. “None of us know where we are, how long we’ve been out, or what the Puppet is up to. So, I am _not_ going to spend my first time being active in who knows how many years listening to you two idiots fight like children! Do you both understand me!?”

Fred and Bon-Bon raised their hands up in surrender, ears drooping in fear and nodding their heads in agreement.

Chicky huffed at them before marching over to the stunned fox, helping Mangle move. “Good, now let’s get going already!”

The other two watched them walk away before exchanging look. “I almost forgot how scary she can be,” Bon-Bon muttered.

“Mmhmm.” Fred agreed, cautiously stepping forward, catching up to Chicky and opting to lead the way.

They approached the door after a moment, Fred moving to jiggle the doorknob. It gave a gentle click under his grip before the door opened up. The sound of children laughing and crying out in the distant greeted their ears. They all gave an audible gasp of shock, slowly and cautiously stepping out of the basement.

It was hard to make out from the angle, but the four animatronics could clearly make out the sight of children playing games, the ringing of arcade games filling the room. Music blasted around the noise, mingling until it managed to break out and be the louder noise. They could hear a deep but gentle voice sing along with the music, and the four instantly recognized the voice.

“Freddy!” they gasped together.

“So?” Chicky questioned, drawing the others attention. “We _are_ still in the pizzeria?”

Fred eyed their surroundings, frowning. “I don’t think so. This doesn’t look familiar. It seems we were moved to a new location since…” he trailed off, noticing Mangle’s crestfallen appearance, “since we were shut down,” he ended up saying.

“But I thought Freddy and the others were too damaged back at the old place?” Bon-Bon asked. “Did Mr. Fazbear really hate us that much to abandon us like that and not give us another chance?”

Mangle tensed up more, curling up slightly. “M-m-my ffff-fffau-aault…”

Bon-Bon gasped, hugging the fox. “Mangle, sweetie, no. No. It’s not your fault we were shut down.”

Fred nodded, smiling. “Exactly. I’m sure Mr. Fazbear had many other reasonings behind his actions.” He patted the pink and white robot just as a sign caught his attention. He reached over with his paw after a few seconds and grabbed it from the wall. It was a poster of Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica on stage with the words “Celebrate!” in a bubbly font at the top. “Well, it really does seem they were just repaired, and Scott didn’t end up just building new animatronics.”

The other three looked at the poster, eyes wide in awe. “Wow,” Bon-Bon said. “They look great! Much better than how they were back when we were the main act.”

“Well I would hope so,” Fred said seriously. “I don’t think children would take kindly to animatronics that were missing limbs and faces.”

“Yeah…”

“So, what do we do now?” Chicky asked.

Fred thought it over before sighing, leaning against the wall. “We wait. We shouldn’t just barge out there during the day. As soon as the last family leaves for the day we’ll go and find Freddy and the others.”

“Mr. Fazbear won’t be happy seeing us,” Chicky commented.

“Possibly. But that old man will have to deal with it.”

They were quiet for a second, thinking over their plan when Bon-Bon tensed. “Fred…Puppet mentions something about a night guard before he left. You don’t think…o-our night modes should be fixed by now, right?”

Fred’s eyes grew wide in a panic. He reached behind his head to mess with a panel that barely poked out from under his suit. He gritted his teeth, keeping down his worries. “We…we’ll worry about that when it gets closer to 12.”

The others didn’t seem to like the answer, but they went with it. There was a tense feeling in the air around them, but there wasn’t much more the four could do. So, instead, they just leaned against the walls and waited. There were problems building up around them, each animatronic could feel it, but hopefully things wouldn’t go as badly as they feared.

 

* * *

 

Freddy let out a tired sigh as he watched the last of the patrons leave the restaurant. He patted Bonnie and Chica on the backs. “Good job today guys!”

“Thanks Freddy,” Bonnie grinned, placing his guitar down. “Ah, I always feel good after our closing song.”

Chica nodded. “It really was fun today!”

Freddy gave fond smiles at his siblings before stepping down from the stage. “Well, we still got a few hours before Mike shows up,” he stated, pointing out the clock that read nine. “What should we do now?”

Bonnie stretched his arms. “I don’t know about you, Freddy, but I could sure go for a nap.”

“Bonnie, I don’t know why I always have to tell you we don’t need to sleep,” Freddy rolled his eyes.

“True, but that will never stop me, Freddo.” Bonnie laughed, moving to sit on the stage.

“Did you just call me, ‘Freddo’?”

“Sure did!”

“Never call me that again.”

Foxy stepped out from the hall, greeting his family with a smile. “Hello!”

Chica smiled, offering the fox a hug. “Hello, Foxy! How are you feeling?”

“I be just fine. Just came to check on ye all before Mikey comes back for his shift.” Foxy plopped down next to Bonnie after he pulled away from Chica. When he settled down and looked around at the others, he let his frown return and let out a sigh. “By the way…earlier today I thought I heard a strange noise near Mike’s office.”

The three turned to the pirate, concerned expressions popping up. “Did you?” Freddy asked. “Strange how?”

“Just be a thump. But tis concerning to me.” He gestured to the path he came down just moments ago with his hook hand. “I went to check it out, but there was nothing there. Didn’t put me at ease, let me say that.”

“Could it be one of _them?”_ Bonnie asked, looking at their leader.

Freddy thought it over. “I’m not sure. I’m sure they are going to start to get anxious now. It’ll be Mike’s third day working here and you all know how at this point it gets harder and harder for us to stay in control.” He grumbled, his own nerves starting to show. “They just get so relentless when a night guard is doing well.”

“Well, what should we-!” there was a noise coming from the hallway and the animatronics froze. They looked around. The last of the human workers were already leaving. The only workers left were the janitors, but they usually hung around the kitchen to avoid being near the animatronics. Mr. Fazbear should still be in his office so what could have made that noise?

Freddy stalked forward, keeping his arms out to make sure his siblings wouldn’t get ahead of him. He passed a glance over his shoulders, and as he expected they were silently standing behind him, ready for whatever they might come across. He placed a finger to his mouth to make sure they understood to keep quiet before turning all his focus back at the hallway.  

There were footsteps from the hall, and the four got in a stance, ready to attack when suddenly there was a gentle call addressing them.

“Stand down. Stand down. We’re not in the best of shapes to put up a fight.” A calm chuckle followed just as a smaller brown bear animatronic stepped out, followed by his three companions.

“Fred!?” Freddy questioned in shock, eyes bugging out of his head. “I…I can’t believe it.”

“Believe it, sir,” Fred smirked, approaching his older counterpart.

“Bonnie!” a voice screamed out in joy and Bon-Bon came rushing pass Fred, hugging the purple rabbit tightly. “I’m so glad to see you again!”

“Bon-Bon! I…how are you guys here?”

“It was the Puppet,” Chicky explained, cutting right to the chase.

“What!?” Freddy demanded, giving a stern look over at Fred for more answers.

“I’m afraid it’s true.” He paused when he noticed Mangle struggling to walk further in the room. He helped them out, passing them over to Bon-Bon and Chicky who guided them to the stage. “We were all deactivated, but earlier today, the Puppet came and turned us back on with his magic. We aren’t fully sure why.”

“We figured it was because of the latest night guard,” Bon-Bon commented from his spot by the stage.

The original four animatronics tensed up at the suggestion, casting worried looks to each other.

“Cap’n…” Foxy worriedly said.

Freddy took a calming breath before turning back to the Toy animatronics. “Did the Puppet say anything else? Anything specific about the guard or what he is planning.”

“No,” Fred confirmed. “He just woke us up and when we were all activated again, he grabbed BB and vanished. The very last thing he mentioned was, ‘Say hello to the nightguard,’ or something like that.” He tilted his head curiously when he noticed how tense the older robots were. “That was the first and only mention of the night guard the Puppet said to us.”

“Damn it!” Bonnie suddenly screamed, startling the Toys. “Why the hell are they doing this now!? They’ve never gone to such measures with previous night guards!”

“Isn’t it obvious, Bonnie!?” Foxy demanded, glaring over at the rabbit. “It’s because it be Mikey. Those damn demons know we’ve been fighting extra hard for the lad, and now they are retaliating!”

“Mikey?” Chicky asked. “Is that the new night guard?”

Freddy nodded. “Mikey was a little boy we met when we first came to this restaurant. I’m sure you all noticed by now we moved. We really favored little Mike and he kind of became part of the family.”

“ _You_ playing favorites for the kids?” Fred asked smirking. “Doesn’t sound like you, sir.”

“Enough with the ‘sir’ nonsense,” Freddy sighed. “And I know I usually make a rule not to play favorites for kids that come by a lot, but Mikey was special. We’ve all been through a lot when he was a kid. So much so that I guess we left an impact on him. He got the job as nightguard just to be reunited with us.” Freddy paused for a second. “He obviously didn’t know how dangerous the job would be.”

Chica spoke up next. “We’ve been giving out warnings to Mike when he does his job. You know, to make it easier on him. Plus, we have really been fighting harder than normal. I guess the Puppet didn’t like that so much.”

“It might also be because Mikey is so determined to save us,” Bonnie mentioned. “He’s been saying that since day one.”

“Save you?” Fred questioned.

“Aye,” Foxy answered. “Mikey’s been saying he is gonna figure out a solution to the whole situation. Save us, ya see?”

Fred scoffed, rolling his eyes and crossing his arms. “This entire thing has been blowing up for _years_. If we haven’t been able to find a solution by now, what makes this Mikey so confident that he can do so by himself?”

Bon-Bon stepped up. “As much as I hate to say it, and I _really_ hate to say it, but I think Fred’s got a point. Doesn’t seem likely to me.”

“Oh, don’t ye be doubting our Mikey now,” Foxy gave a toothy grin. “He be my first matey after all. I know the lad better than anyone. He could take on Davey Jones himself and come back unscathed.”

Another scoff came from Fred. “Well, I admire the confidence, but I have my doubt.” Fred snobbishly stuck his nose in the air as he stepped through group and to the side of the stage and sat down.

“Arg…I almost forgot how bratty you Toys can be…” Foxy muttered, glaring at Fred.

“Rude,” Bon-Bon said, also sticking his nose in the air. “We are a delight!”

Chicky groaned, slamming her head down on a table and leaning over it. “No, he’s right. You two are the worse sometimes…”

“Et tu, Chicky?” Bon-Bon asked with a dramatic gasp.

“I love you both so much, and I am so glad you are both a part of my life,” Chicky started only turning her head from her sprawled out position on the table. “But if I have to spend another day listening to you two get in a petty argument or trying to show up the other, I’m gonna scream.”

Bonnie started to snicker. “How much should I bet that they already broke out in a fight since you guys got activated again?”

“Bet whatever you want, cause ya gonna win,” Chicky grumbled as she reached to take off her beak to press her face easier against the table.

“ _Anyways…_ ” Fred spoke up, going to change the subject. “We answered your question; now could you all answer ours?” He looked over at Freddy. “Like you said, we’ve obviously moved establishments since, well _our_ incident…” he cast a worried glance at Mangle who didn’t look happy at Fred’s words. “Yet when did we move here? And how long have we been out?”

Freddy tilted his head up as he thought it out in his head. “Let’s see, it was ’87 when you guys got shut down, so,” Freddy paused, casting a sympathetic look at the younger animatronics, “it’s been about nine years.”

The news hit the Toys hard, all widening their eyes.

“Nine years?” Fred muttered, gripping the edge of the stage.

“We’ve really been cast aside for that long!?” Bon-Bon said, anger starting to bubble up in his voice.

“Toy Bonnie,” Freddy started, raising a paw. “Don’t get too upset. I know how it feels to be cast aside, but you-.”

“And _you guys…!”_ Bon-Bon screeched, oily tears brimming up in his eyes. He glared at Freddy, fists clenching at his side. “You left us down there! At least when you were cast aside you all remained active! What about us!? You all could have gone down there! You could have brought us back. But no! We had to wait for a _psychopath_ to bring us back!”

“Bon-Bon!” Bonnie stepped over to his counterpart, grabbing him by the wrist. “Relax. You don’t think we tried. We don’t have access to the basement. Only Mr. Fazbear does. He wouldn’t let us do anything to bring you all back. Ever since the Bite he-.”

“Don’t!” Bon-Bon screamed. “Don’t you dare mention that damn bite! It does not define us! We shouldn’t be the ones punished over that! We shouldn’t have to be locked away like monsters, left to rot in a stinky old basement! We never done anything wrong!”

“Bon-Bon calm down!” Fred demanded, stepping over to the rabbits. “You’re starting to get hysterical again.”

“No, I’m not!” He snapped, turning to the younger bear. “And even if I am, don’t I have a right to be!? I’m just tired of this! It’s not our fault someone messed with our night mode, making us go haywire! It’s not our fault the humans got too damn lazy to fix up poor Mangle making them glitch out every two seconds! It’s not our fault the Bite happened! It’s not our fault that a new human dies here every other damn day! So why are we the one punished? Why are we the ones locked away and only brought out to hurt some more!?” Bon-Bon let out a sob, knees shaking. He collapsed, Bonnie catching him before he fell on the ground. “I don’t want to hurt people anymore. I don’t want to be shut down and never see daylight again. I just want to sing for kids. Make people happy. Why…why can’t we just have that?”

“Bon-Bon…” the purple rabbit whispered, hugging his counterpart tightly.

There was a silence as Bonnie continued to console the sobbing rabbit. Just then there was a click and Freddy was the one to look, seeing the sound came from Mr. Fazbear’s door. “Oh boy, here we go…”

The second the old man laid eyes on the Toy animatronics, he knew hell would break loose soon. “What on earth…what _the hell_ are you four doing out of the basement!?”

“M-mr. Fazbear,” Chicky whispered nervously, her arms instantly holding on to Mangle to keep both of them calm.

Freddy went to explain, but Fred stepped up in front of him instead. “Fred, no…”

The smaller bear gave a confident smirk before addressing the man. “Hello, Mr. Fazbear. It has been awhile, hasn’t it? Nine years it seems.”

“You four are going back in the basement!” the man said, roughly grabbing Fred by the arm and trying to drag him. Fred remained in place as he watched the pathetic attempt of the human trying to push the possible several tons animatronic. “Are you quite finished?”

The owner let out a tired huff before shooting the bear a glare, he turned his attention over to the original four. “You idiots! You four are responsible for this, aren’t you?”

“Mr. Fazbear, we didn’t wake up the Toys,” Freddy tried to explain. “They…there was an incident apparently in the basement earlier while we were performing.”

“That is correct, sir,” the younger bear agreed.

“I don’t care about that,” Mr. Fazbear growled. “What I do care about is that I have you four,” he pointed at the Toys, “walking around out here when you should be out for the count down in the basement!”

Chicky bit nervously at her wing before standing up and approaching the man. “M-mr. Fazbear, may I make a suggestion?”

“No! I don’t make deals with you machines!”

“Bu-but, I just figured we could return to the basement-.”

“What!?” Bon-Bon snapped from the sideline.

“ _But_ you give us permission to stay on. Pl-please, please Mr. Fazbear don’t deactivate us. We won’t cause trouble. We’ll stay in the basement during the day. Only come out when the guests have left, like right now.”

Mr. Fazbear didn’t seem to like that idea. He looked like he wanted to speak more, but there was a ringing from his office. He let out an annoyed huff before glaring up at his animatronics. “This isn’t over. I’ll decide what to do with you monsters later. For now, consider yourselves lucky.” He gave one final glare before running off to his office, slamming the door behind him.

On the sidelines, near the entrance to the kitchen, the animatronics could see the human workers watching the exchange. When the humans noticed the robotic animals staring, they jumped in fright before running back in the kitchen.

“Well, I think I handled that pretty well,” Fred said with a grin.

 Freddy deadpanned at his counterpart. “Actually, I think Chicky mostly-.”

“Anyways!” Fred shouted, changing up the topic again.

Freddy sighed, shaking his head, but the sincere smile couldn’t be pushed away as he followed after the bear.

“So,” Fred looked around at everyone. “We still have time before this Mike shows up for his night guard shift, but that leaves us with another problem. From how it sounds like we were treated after our deactivation, I doubt Mr. Fazbear ever took the time to call back Scott and fix up our A.I. chips, and by that I mainly mean our night modes.”

“So, you guys will still act just as violent as you did back at the old place?” Bonnie questioned.

“That’s the theory.” Fred looked over at his counterpart. “Any ideas so we don’t risk hurting Mike?”

“Hmm, this would be tricky…”

“Oh! Freddy! Freddy! Idea!” Chica shouted, stepping up.

“Yes, Chica?”

“Uh,” Chica seemed nervous about her idea, running a hand along the back of her head. “Why don’t we just all stay in the basement? It can lock, right? Mikey can just unlock the doors at six and everything can go on as normal.”

Freddy frowned. “Well if only it could be that simple. We are all very aggressive at night. Especially with the Puppet’s influence.”

“I see where ya going with this, Freddo,” Bonnie said.

“What did I say about that nickname…?”

Bonnie ignored the comment before speaking up again. “We could just end up barging down the door. Mikey’s doors would be hard to take down with brute force, I mean they are made of freaking metal. But the basement door? It’s just plain wood. Just _one_ of us could smash that thing to pieces without even trying.”

“O-oh,” Chica pouted, seeing how her plan could fail.

The other chicken animatronic didn’t seem fully convinced, placing a tender wing under her beak as she contemplated everything. “Well, _you_ guys could do that easily…” she gestured to the four originals, “but _us_ , well I’m not so sure.”

“What on earth do you mean, Chicky?” Fred questioned. “We may be smaller than them, but we are just as strong.”

“Yeah but think about it Fred! We act like weak and mindless zombies during our night mode. All we know at that time is to locate any person in the building. Unless we come across something that could be dangerous, we are as docile as we can be. The only time we _do_ get…aggressive,” Chicky gulped when she remembered how bad those times can be, “is when we do locate a person and our stupid coding make us instantly see them as a threat! Buuuuut, if we are locked in the basement at night…” she trailed off, hoping her leader would get where she is going.

“Then we will never even be able to come across Mike! We won’t start using our strengths until a human is within our scanner! Chicky you are a genius!”

“I always did say I was the brains of our group.”

Foxy still seemed worried. “That all seems well and good, but…but what _if_ you four do get out? What then? I doubt with the rest of the week the rest of us will have enough sanity to ward you all off while trying to stop ourselves.”

Freddy nodded his head. “I agree too. It’s still a bit risky. I trust you all might not break down the door, but we can never know for sure.”

“Theeeeeennnnnn…” Chicky went back to her thinking pose, trying to come up with a plan b.

“O-o-o-oh!”

All turned to the quiet Mangle who gave a harsh twitch, an arm spinning around once before resting.

“Wh-wh-ttttttt Fr-fred-fred-freddyyyyy ma-maaaask?”

The others listened patiently before realizing what Mangle said.

“A Freddy mask!” Bon-Bon smiled. “That did use to work on us in the past. Don’t we have any spare ones here?”

“I believe so,” the older bear answered. “I think last time Scott was here he left a pile of emergency supplies for us in case we needed them.”

“Boom, problem solved!” Bonnie said with a cheer.

“Well, let’s leave the spare mask as a plan B, Bonnie,” Freddy suggested. “I know it would always trick the Toys in their night mode, but that thing isn’t exactly the easiest for a human to wear and work in. Mike would still need to take the mask off to check the cameras and just move around easily. So basically, my spare mask will be a backup plan if the Toys escape and we just can’t stop them. Hopefully, Mike won’t have to worry about using the mask at all, but it wouldn’t hurt to have it on handy for him.”

“So,” Bon-Bon started, “from what it sounds like we are returning to that ugly basement…gross…” He suddenly straightened up, making a beeline to the bathroom. “Well, I am not returning there until I clean up my fur. Be right back! Don’t wait up~”

“Still a big germaphobe I see,” Bonnie commented as he watched his counterpart walk off.

“Actually, I would say Toy Bonnie has more of a case of automysophobia,” Freddy explained with a smile. “Fear of getting dirty.”

Bonnie gave Freddy an incredulous look, shaking his head and arms slouching down dramatically. “How…how on earth would you know that on the top of your head! Who just knows these big words and their definition in seconds without looking it up?”

“I do,” Freddy defended.

“You couldn’t possibly-You’re a nerd! You are such a big freaking nerd!” Bonnie threw his hands in the air as he walked back to the stage to get his guitar. “My brother is a freaking nerd people!”

“Oh, my goodness, are you serious, Bonnie. Why do you have to act like this all the time? I swear…”

The two broke out in a playful fight, Bonnie continuing his name calling of Freddy and Freddy just reprimanding the rabbit for his behavior.

Fred chuckled along with Chicky as he approached Foxy and Chica. “I see they haven’t change much over the years.”

Foxy grinned, crossing his arms. “Aye, but it be nice, ya know? Those two always know how to work off the other. I don’t know, maybe it be because they’ve spent a long time with just each other before Chica and I were made and after Golden and Spring were put away.”

Fred nodded. “Golden and Spring,” he commented hearing the names. “I wonder what they were like. I know it’s pointless asking you two, but they must have been interesting. They were the very first animatronics after all.”

“Aye. I heard a little bit from Freddy in the past, not a lot though. I’m learning more though thanks to Mike’s influence.” He grinned when he noticed Fred’s curious look. “Ah, right, ye wouldn’t know. Because Mikey wants so badly to help us, Cap’n Freddy agreed to tell Mike everything that has happened since he was made in the good ol’ Fazbear history.”

“Everything?” Fred asked shocked.

“Aye, everything.” He frowned, remembering the story from last night. “Did you know about the child that died at the diner location?”

Fred and Chicky looked stunned hearing that, a slight about of worry gracing their features. “N-no. I don’t think I was ever told. Did…did that really happen?”

Chica was the one to answer next. “Yeah, apparently not long after Freddy was made, a little boy was killed outside the old diner location. It’s part of the reason why the previous location was bought.”

The two Toys shared a look before glancing back over at Freddy who was still arguing with Bonnie, despite the fond smile gracing his features. “And let me guess, Freddy hasn’t told anyone about that until last night.”

“Yeah,” Chica nodded at Fred’s question. “You know Freddy. That old bear is too stubborn to let us take some of that emotional pain off his chest.”

“Trust me, I know,” the younger bear agreed.

Chicky chuckled, gently whacking the Toy leader on the back of his head. “You’re no better, you big idiot.”

Fred grinned at her, rubbing where she hit him.

“Anyways,” Foxy spoke up again. “You four should stick around to hear more of Freddy’s story. Mikey should be here an hour or so before his shift and we’re gonna hear what Cap’n has to say next.”

The bear thought it over before smiling. “This Mikey must really be special. For Freddy and the rest of you all to go to such lengths I mean.” He shifted in his spot, crossing his arms. “And for _him_ to do the same, well I would be lying if I said I wasn’t interested in meeting this Mikey.”

“Oh, he’s a good lad,” Foxy commented. “You all will love him, and he’ll love all of you.”

“I can’t wait to meet him, Foxy.” Chicky offered the fox a smile. “You’ve spoken so much about him, I can tell you love Mikey a lot.”

“Well of course I do. He’s me first matey. The first child who ever…” Foxy trailed off, a memory flashing in his mind. He suddenly felt nervous and uncomfortable before clearing his throat. “Ya know what? As much as I would love to continue talk about this, it is a bit of a personal tale to tell, and I don’t feel I should say it without Mike’s permission.”

“Yet another story,” Fred joked. “How many of these stories do we all have to tell?”

“Yar, with a history like the Fazbear family, how could we not.”

Fred couldn’t stop the laugh that came. It was a bit of dark humor in his eyes, from all that he _does_ know about the history of the Fazbear company, but still managed to bring a bit of amusement to him.

“Anyways, we still got some time before Mikey. Why don’t we catch you all up on some minor stuff that has happened here since you all were shut down. Why, I think it was last month when Chica tried to stuff a full pizza down her throat.”

“Foxy!” Chica shouted embarrassed “Don’t tell them about that!”

“Yar har har! It took weeks for the cleaning crew to fix up Chica’s endoskeleton. Oh! Or this one-time Bonnie…”

The night continued as thus with all the animatronics chatting along happily about random silly stories. It kept like this until eleven struck and Mike decided to come in even earlier than last time.

“Hey guys! I’m he-here…?” Mike trailed off when he noticed the Toy animatronics standing by the stage. The cleanup crew was no where in sight and judging by the quietness of the building they must have left early. “Uuuuuh?”

“Mikey!” Chica greeted the guard first, running to the boy and hugging him tightly. “I made a fresh pizza for you! Chicky helped me actually! Oh, you are gonna love Chicky’s cooking! She’s just as good as me!”

“I-I…what?”

Freddy laughed, walking over to the two. “Chica, you are confusing the poor boy. He’s never met the Toys, remember?”

“Oh yeah.”

“Freddy? What’s going on? Who are they?” Mike looked at the new animatronics. “They look like you guys, but shinier…” He gasped, eyes going wide. “You guys aren’t being replaced, are you!?”

“Whoa, whoa, whoa! Slow down Mikey. No one is getting replaced.” Freddy guided Mike through the showroom and closer to the Toys. “These guys _used_ to be our replacements, long ago at our previous location, but after some, let’s call them accidents, they were shut down and we took their place.” The bear cleared his throat as he made a wild gesture with his hands as he spoke the next bit. “Mikey allow me to introduce you to the Toy animatronics. Toys, this is Mikey.”

“Pleasure to finally meet you, Mikey.” The guard looked to see the smaller bear stand up and extend a hand to the guard. Mike took that time to familiarize himself with his appearance, taking in the rounder face and rosy cheeks. “I am Toy Freddy, but I prefer to go by Fred for short.”

“Hey…” Bonnie spoke up, getting the others attention. “Maybe we should start calling _Fred_ by Freddo!”

“Stop!” both bears said together, glaring at the giggling rabbit.

“A-anyways…” Fred said, straightening his bowtie before gesturing to the other Toys. “This here is-.”

“I think we can introduce ourselves, Fred dear,” the light blue rabbit said, giving a challenging look at Fred. He turned on his heels, giving a bright round smile. “Hello, dearie! Aren’t you just the cutest little night guard I have ever met! Oh, I bet you were absolutely adorable as a kid. I’m kinda jealous of Bonnie and the others for meeting you as a child.”

“Don’t be creepy, Bon-Bon,” Bonnie chuckled.

“Right, sorry.” The younger rabbit cleared his throat, running his paw through the tufts of fur at the top of his head. “I’m Bon-Bon. I really don’t like going by Toy Bonnie. Way too long, wouldn’t you agree, Mikey dear?”

“Uuuh?” Mike gave a shaken smile, a bit thrown off by the rabbit’s personality. “Nice to meet you Bon-Bon.” Like with Fred, Mike took this time to get a closer look at the bunny, taking notice of the make-up like design that was going on and Mike’s smile steadied. “Wow, so I’m guessing when they made the counterpart for Bonnie, they decided to make you into a second girl for the group. That’s so cool!”

Bon-Bon went stiff instantly at the comment, his smile stuck in place.

Fred went into a frenzy of laughter, head being thrown back, a hand resting at his closed eyes and another arm wrapping around his stomach. Chicky sighed, shaking her head and placing a wing to her temple. “Here we go…” she muttered, knowing exactly how this was about to play out.

Mike looked over, tilting his head and raising a brow at Fred’s reaction to what he said. He jumped when he heard a snap back at the blue rabbit and instantly, he seized up in fear. Bon-Bon was still smiling, but Mike could feel the raw anger flaming out from within the bunny.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Ha! You must be confused, sweetie. I’m actually a _boy!”_

“O-oh!” Mike said, understanding now. “I’m sorry.”

Fred wiped a tear of mirth from his eyes, placing a hand on Mike’s shoulder. “Oh, Mike, Foxy was right. I do love you now.” He laughed some more, gaining Bon-Bon’s glare instead of the guard. “And don’t you worry. Most have mistaken Bon-Bon as a pretty little female in one part of their life.” He moved over to sling an arm over the rabbit and smiled at his brother. “Oh, don’t give me such a look. Mike said it, not me.”

“Oh, like you wouldn’t have tried to find the opportunity to make fun of my appearance, fatso!”

Fred’s expression dropped at the comment. “How many times must I tell you, I’m not fat. Animatronics can’t get fat…”

“And we have no real gender either, yet I’m still a guy.” Bon-Bon smirked. “And you are still fat.”

“Aaaand we are gonna introduce Mikey to the others before you two start tearing each other from limb to limb,” Freddy announced, purposely stepping between the two and grabbing Mike, guiding him over to the other two animatronics he has yet to meet.

“I started something, didn’t I?” Mike asked in a whisper.

“Trust me, with those two, it was bound to happen anyways,” Freddy whispered back.

A much thinner chicken, at least when compared to Chica stepped up to Mike next, smiling wide. “I’m Toy Chica. But I usually just go by Chicky. Nice to meet you, Mike.” She pointed Mike over to the damaged fox animatronic. He felt his expression lower at noticing how the fox animatronic was almost completely mutilated, twisted and turned in odd angles. “And that is Mangle.” Chicky introduced. “Or Toy Foxy. They…” she sighed. “They were damaged a lot in the past and never really got repaired. Their voice box is also damaged almost beyond repair. It’s difficult for them to speak.”

Mangle gave a stiff wave after some time. “H-h-helloooooo.”

Mike smiled, but it was a sad one. “Are they okay? That kind of looks painful.”

“I-I-I’m fiiine,” Mangle reassured with a wave of their paw.

Chicky nodded. “Yeah, they are fine. They need help moving around from time to time, but Mangle gets by.”

“Well, it’s nice to meet you guys, but I just have to ask. Why are you out here?” Mike asked everyone.

All seemed to hesitate, exchanging looks. Freddy decided to answer for everyone. “There was an incident earlier today. We didn’t plan it, but the Toys were activated again by accident. We don’t have it in our heart to deactivate them, so they are gonna stick around…as long as Mr. Fazbear doesn’t say otherwise…”

Bon-Bon scoffed. “He better not.”

“Toy Bonnie…” Freddy warned in a scolding tone. He successfully silenced the rabbit. “Anyways, there is an issue with them being out. They also tend to act up at night, like us.”

“S-so, I have to defend myself from eight animatronics tonight?”

“Oh, I hope not,” Freddy reassured. “No, we have a plan. They act a bit differently then us four. They are still dangerous to be near at night, but in a different extent. So, our plan is to keep them locked up in the basement at night to keep them at bay. The rest of us would join, but we fear we may break down the door if we were down there.”

“I see.”

“Aaaand, just in case they _do_ get out somehow,” Freddy reached behind him and as if by magic, pulled up an empty Freddy mask and handed it to the guard. “This mask will be your plan B.”

“Uuuuh, how is an animatronic mask going to save me, exactly?”

“Oh, you see dearie,” Bon-Bon went to explain, “we Toys have a few more tricks up our sleeves. We were made to be more advance than the other four. We have it all, facial recognition advanced mobility, etcetera, etcetera~”

“The point is,” Freddy went back to explaining. “They can see and recognize their surroundings and the people in the surroundings much better than us. Unfortunately, something happened when they were given their night mode. It glitched out bad. Originally the Toys were supposed to be able to recognize criminals and other dangerous situations by just their scanners. It works during the day, but at night they see every adult human as a threat and kind of…”

Mike understood where Freddy was going and nodded, raising a hand up. “I get it. No need.”

“So anyways, the human workers came up with a solution to trick the Toys during the night. The mask makes them think you are another animatronic. Obviously, they can tell you are just a normal human right now, but at night they won’t be able to tell the difference in the slightest.”

“We’ve seen the trick work,” Bonnie commented. “Kind of silly to see them think a human with a mask twice the size of their head is a normal animatronic.”

“Hey, don’t make fun, not our faults,” Bon-Bon huffed.

“I see.” Mike tested the mask, seeing how hard it was to keep over his head without it tilting to the side and blocking his vision. “Okay, yeah, I see why this is plan B already. Can barely keep my head still without it falling over. No way I could do the rest of what I need to do at the same time.”

“Exactly my thinking.” Freddy ruffled Mike’s hair. “So smart.”

Foxy stepped over to Mike, offering a reassuring look. “So, that be the plan for tonight. Ya still gonna deal with us four like usual, but the Toys will be kind of kept aside.”

“Got it!” Mike looked over at Mr. Fazbear’s office, seeing it was still closed tight. “So, has the old man seen you four yet?”

“Oh of course,” Fred answered. “Wasn’t happy in the slightest. He doesn’t tend to like us, or anyone for that matter.”

“Yeah, I noticed.” Mike gave a heated glare at the door as if his boss was standing there. “Well, I’m not gonna let that prick ruin my fun time here with you guys. Speaking of which…” he gave a grin, looking over at the older bear. “Story time!”

Freddy laughed, shaking his head. “You know this isn’t a happy story and yet you treat it like one.”

“What can I say, I love gaining information. And what better information is the type that can help me find a way to save you guys?”

“Wow. He really is noble,” Chicky commented.

“Hmm?”

Chicky gave a smirk. “We’ve been hearing a lot about you, Mikey. All good things of course.”

Mike gave an embarrassed giggle. “Wo-wow, you guys been talking about me? I’m flattered.”

Freddy shuffled Mike’s hair again. “Well can you blame us? You are a part of our family and the Toys needed to hear just how amazing you are.” The bear gave a fond look towards Mike before settling against a table carefully. “Now then, story time?”

“Story time.”

Freddy couldn’t help the amused feeling he got from the young man. “Okay, where to start?” He recalled where he left off and instantly his mood dampened. “Oh, know where to start…”

“After what happened with the little boy, right?” Mike asked hesitantly.

The older bear nodded, lowering his gaze. “Yeah. I really wish it all ended there, but it just didn’t. The restaurant was closed down since the incident. No costumer wanted to come to the diner that was known as the place where a child was killed. That didn’t bother Fredbear, Spring and I, but we were not taking all the new development easy. I think I took it the hardest actually.”

The air became tense as Freddy started to get into the meat of his story, letting the memories play out before his eyes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well there you go. Please leave a kudos and comment. I would really appreciate it if you want to leave one. Either way, thanks for taking the time to read this. Next chapter should be out soon!


	4. Tales of the first ghost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Things start to go odd when Freddy tells Mike the next part of his story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I hope you enjoy this new chapter! I meant to turn it in sooner, but I kept getting distracted and forgetting, but that's all besides the point. The point now is the chapter is up and ready to read. Enjoy!

_Freddy let out a sigh that pierced through the silence of the diner. The building was empty of humans, Mr. Fazbear having kept all his employees out for a while until everything started to calm down. The owner had spent his time trying to find a solution to clearing the bad air that was now surrounding his diner in the comfort of his home rather than in the restaurant._

_That left the three animatronics alone. Fredbear and Spring stayed at the stage, the bear solemnly looked down at his microphone with one paw instinctively gripping at the base of the device. He stood silently despite his mind racing. Spring was by his side, slouched down, legs dangling over the edge of the stage. His arms were spread out behind him to keep his upper body supported._

_Freddy himself was sitting at a booth table, arm propped up to hold his head as he looked behind him through a window. He watched the humans walk by outside, smiles on their faces and blissfully unaware of the heavy feeling that was building and growing within the diner._

_It has only been a week since the young boy was found outside the restaurant Freddy hasn’t spoken up about it since. In fact, Freddy hasn’t spoken at all since then. Whenever Fredbear or Spring would try to get their younger brother to talk, the brown bear would just silently walk away to the other side of the room to keep away from them._

_Fredbear tried his best to keep spirits up, but with Freddy constantly pushing the others away and Spring also showing signs of being affected by what happened, the golden bear has realized his attempts were becoming futile. Fredbear looked over at Freddy before down at Spring. “Psst, hey,” he whispered, keeping his voice as low as possible while still loud enough for the rabbit to hear._

_“What?” Spring did not try to keep his voice low. He didn’t seem to care if he disturbed the silence of the building._

_Fredbear groaned at his brother with a shake of his head. After a moment to collect his thoughts, he spoke again. “We need to try again. To get Freddy to speak, I mean.”_

_“That’s not gonna happen. I swear if I didn’t know any better, I’d say his voicebox was stolen.”_

_Fredbear flinched when he noticed Freddy get up from his position and made his way a bit farther from the two. He had heard them. “And that’s why I wanted to be quiet…”_

_“Goldie Locks look.”_

_“Stop calling me that…”_

_Spring waved his hand at the bear’s words but continued anyways. “Look, I know you mean well, but I just don’t think there is much we can really do. We’ve tried. We’ve failed. Freddy’s doesn’t want to talk, and I think we should just accept that.”_

_“So, you just want to give up?”_

_“Whoa, I never said I was giving up!” Spring shot back as his temper instantly flared up.  He gave a harsh glare at the bear. “I tried! It ain’t my fault Freddy is giving us the silent treatment.”_

_Fredbear spared a glance at Freddy and took notice how the brown bear flinched at hearing what Spring yelled. Fredbear wanted to stop Spring, but suddenly an idea popped up in his mind. He cast an apologizing look at Freddy before gathering his nerve and turning to Spring, an equally irritated expression forming that matched the rabbit’s face. “No, you are giving up on him. We can’t just stop trying to get Freddy to open up to us. This entire situation is one we must work through together and you saying we should just let him be is giving up! And I can’t believe you of all people would suggest such a thing!”_

_Spring stood up, instantly getting into Fredbear’s face, and ears pinning back in his anger. “You listen to me, Fredbear, I am not one to give up! I just don’t want to push where I shouldn’t! Unlike you, I know how to give people their damn space! And if Freddy wants to go the quiet route and ignore us, fine! He’s not a kid, Fredbear! He doesn’t need us to hover over him like parents. So, stop acting like you know best and just let things go out in their natural direction! Because the more you push the more it will be hard for Freddy!”_

_Fredbear kept his plan in mind, but that didn’t stop the puff of anger to rise at Spring’s words. “I don’t know what you are talking about! I do not act like that!”_

_“Oh, you so do!” Spring fought. “Even before Freddy came into the picture, you always acted like you know best and if someone doesn’t do what you say then you freak out and get upset!”_

_“No, I don’t! I think you are forgetting that the person I mostly have to deal with is_ you! _And you are no walk in the park Spring! You and your damn attitude of yours!”_

_“_ My attitude?! _” Spring asked with a laugh. “Oooooh, Goldie Locks you really don’t know how to stop do you? But if you really want to go there, then fine, you self-righteous prick!”_

_“Stop it!”_

_The two-fighting animatronics went quiet, turning to see Freddy standing before them, his blue eyes staring down at the two intensely._

_Freddy had tears in his eyes as he clenched his fists together. He took a moment to compose himself before wiping the oil tears away. “Will you two just stop fighting!”_

_Fredbear felt a stab of guilt hit him. He knew this would force Freddy to finally speak but seeing the results of his purposeful fight with Spring, Fredbear started to see he may have made the wrong choice. Maybe Spring had a point…he thought reluctantly._

_Spring also looked guilty, not for the same reason, but he still flinched back at the hurt expression he saw on his younger brother’s face. “Ah jeez, Freddy look I’m sorry, kid.”_

_Freddy sucked in some air so he could let out a deep sigh. “No, I’m sorry too. I just…I just don’t know how to process this. A kid…a kid died right outside our building. He was right_ there!” _Freddy gestured to the window he was next to, the same window where everyone saw the body. “How could I have not seen him? How could I have let that happen to a child!? Aren’t I supposed to protect kids and make them feel safe?”_

_Fredbear approached his brother instantly. “Hey, this was not your fault, Freddy. You should not blame yourself.”_

_Spring came up next, placing a comforting paw on the brown bear. “Yeah, Goldie Locks is right. You gotta remember kid, the-the thing happened outside. Even if we were closer to the window to look out, there was no guarantee of how this would have all gone down.”_

_“Spring has a good point, Freddy.” Fredbear offered a reassuring smile, but it didn’t bring one to the brown bear. He let out a breath. “Look, something awful happened. I know you would do anything to prevent it, but sometimes we just can’t stop the bad things that happen in this world. But putting all the blame on yourself, especially on something that was not your fault even in the slightest, you have to realize you are just punishing yourself for something you don’t deserve. I wish that little boy was okay now and I wish he could go on with the life he deserved, but unfortunately that isn’t the case.” Fredbear gave Freddy’s shoulder a squeeze, making sure the brown bear was looking at him. “But Freddy, please, please understand that you never messed up. You just couldn’t have known. No one could have. Not even the humans. I’m not saying you can’t be upset by what happened, but don’t beat yourself up on something you have no control over.”_

_“Yeah, and don’t shut us out, either,” Spring added in._

_“Oh, now you say he shouldn’t keep quiet…” Fredbear commented, giving Spring a look._

_“Hey, he can stay quiet all he wants. There is a difference between being quiet and pushing us away.”_

_Freddy couldn’t help the gentle laugh that came hearing them. “I won’t, you two. I’m sorry.”_

_Fredbear chose to ignore Spring and look back at his youngest brother. “We are a family now. You, Spring and I. Who knows what kind of terrible things that will come our way, but the great thing about that is that you will never have to go through that alone. Try and remember that, little brother.” He backed up, placing a paw on Spring. “We will always be here for you when you are upset about something. When you are upset or stress, come to us. Okay?”_

_“Yeah, I’ll try.” Freddy gave them a smile._

_The talk didn’t erase the terrible thing that happened. Freddy knew that. But he couldn’t help but feel much better at realizing just how much Fredbear and Spring cared. He couldn’t stop himself from hugging the two tightly. Fredbear instantly hugged him back. Spring tensed up for a second before hesitantly hugging back awkwardly. “I love you guys.”_

_“Love you too, little brother.”_

_“Ugh…” Spring groaned. “Yeah, yeah, same. Can we stop this mushy family crap now? It’s making me want to barf and I’m pretty sure that is physically impossible for me.”_

_Fredbear and Freddy laughed, letting go of the rabbit. “Okay!” the oldest said. “Why don’t we rest up for the night. Mr. Fazbear said he would be back by tomorrow with a plan to move forward. We should be ready!”_

_“Yeah,” Freddy agreed, following his brother to their designated spots on stage, not taking notice of a small shadowy figure that flickered behind him._

* * *

 

 

Freddy smiled as he remembered the memory.

“Soooooo…” Bonnie spoke up when a small silence broke out. “What I’m getting is, you’ve been emotionally constipated from the get-go?”

“B-bonnie!” Freddy snapped, shooting the laughing bunny a glare.

“I mean, it couldn’t have been easy,” Mike defended the bear. “You saw a dead child. I don’t think I would be okay after witnessing that.”

Freddy let out a relaxing breath hearing that. “Thank you, Mike.” He went silent for a second, bearing his thoughts. “It really wasn’t easy. But Fredbear and Spring, those two always made it easier on me. Even when I was starting to become the main face for the company, those two always knew the right thing to say to calm me down. I kind of miss that, you know? I miss them.”

Mike cast the bear a sympathetic look. “I do know, man. They were your big brothers. I can only imagine how hard it is for you now that they aren’t here anymore.”

Freddy nodded his head, his gaze sneaking over to get a glimpse of Bonnie. As he feared, the rabbit didn’t look so good, ears drooping down and he was backing away slowly. Not so much so to catch the others attention, but Freddy could still tell. _And he called me, ‘emotionally constipated’?_ he thought, watching his brother for a moment.

“Anyways,” Freddy began again. “It’s kind of funny. Right when I was starting to get over what happened to that little boy, something related to that happened that very night when the three of us began to rest.”

“Really? Did it involve the killer?”

Freddy shook his head. “No. To be honest Mike, I don’t know much about the killer. If you want answers on that you may need to seek out other options.”

“I see…” Mike said, thinking over the suggestion.

“No,” Freddy spoke to get back on topic. “Something…unbelievable happened that night.”

 

* * *

 

_The shadowy figure went back and forth from flickering around and being visible to vanishing from sight without any trace left over. It was as if it couldn’t control its action. The disappearing and reappearing act continued for a long time, never fully getting caught by the humans that would walk around the building or the always present animatronic animals._

_It wasn’t until it witnessed the exchange between the three robots that finally,_ finally _the little shadow was able to get a tiny grasp over its form._

_The lights of the restaurant were off, leaving the room in a darkness that was only pierced by the moonlight that shined through the windows. It crawled against the wood floor, slithering closer to the stage where it could make out the three robots, heads hung low and eyes shut peacefully._

_The shadow seemed to shake and twitch before taking the shape of a body. It wasn’t a short process. In fact, the shadow seemed to struggle greatly to take this form, but after a few moments, it managed. The inky blackness dripped away, leaving the form in its place._

_A child stood in the spot of the shadow now. A small boy with chocolate brown hair and a green and yellow striped shirt. His eyes were large, glowing like a lightbulb in each socket. He blinked his eyes for a moment before looking down at his hands. “I’m…I’m…where am I?” He looked up, seeing the resting animatronics. “H-hey! Hey!”_

_The three jumped in fright, not expecting to hear a voice. Freddy was the first to open his eyes and see the boy. He gasped, backing up. Normally he wouldn’t have done so for a child, but one look at this boy and his bright glowing eyes, Freddy knew he wasn’t witnessing something normal. Fredbear and Spring also felt the same, Fredbear moving to hold his arms up in a protective stance in front of his brothers._

_“Fre-fredbear, wait,” Freddy spoke softly, trying to push his brother’s arm down. He looked closer at the boy. There was something familiar about the child and Freddy wasn’t sure why. He took a step despite Fredbear trying to push him away. “Little boy?” he spoke softly. “Wh-who are you? How…how did you get in here?”_

_“Oh my god, Freddy, why are you talking to the freaky kid with freaking glowing eyes?!” Spring demanded._

_“He’s still a kid,” the brown bear explained. “And…doesn’t he look familiar to you guys too?”_

_Fredbear and Spring didn’t answer, but they did take a closer look at the child, trying to see what Freddy saw._

_The child frowned, lifting up his hands closer to his face. He gasped when he saw a shine from his eyes shining down onto his hands. He looked around for anything that could work as a mirror and in the end, his eyes landed on the glass door nearby. It was the first time he took in his appearance. “What? What happened to my eyes?”_

_When the boy stepped closer to the door, he began to shift his body around until to get a better angle at his appearance. When the child moved his head to the side, that’s when Freddy saw it, a long ugly scar spread across his neck. That’s when it clicked for Freddy. The same scar, the same hair, the same clothes…it was the same boy that everyone discovered outside the restaurant. The bear’s body went tensed when he realized that. “It can’t be,” he whispered softly._

_“What?” Fredbear asked._

_“It’s…it’s the boy. The boy from that day. The one that was…” Freddy had trouble saying the next word. He managed to squeeze it out right when the child turned back to face the three. “killed.”_

_The child’s eyes went wide at hearing that, staring intensely at the bear._

_“What?” Spring asked confused. “Freddy that’s not possible.”_

_“No, Spring, it is!” Freddy tried again. He pushed past his brothers and closer to the child. “Little boy? How…how…oh my goodness, I don’t even know what to say.”_

_“You’re Freddy,” the child spoke, “right?”_

_Freddy nodded, giving an incredulous smile at him. “Yes, yes I am.”_

_“Yeah…I remember…” the boy lowered his head. “I…I remember that day.” The animatronics went quiet as they listened carefully to the boy. There was a pause as the kid tried his best to get his memory back in shape. “I…I was running. There was a guy in purple. I-I can’t remember what he looked like.” His eyes started to shimmer and what looked like tears, glowing the same white color of the child’s eyes, streamed down his face. “I was scared. I went to find help.” He looked up at the animatronics, pointing a finger at Freddy. “I saw you! I saw you inside the building! I yelled.”_

_Freddy felt like his insides were locking up hearing the story. “Little boy, I-.”_

_“You didn’t hear me. No one did. And then…and then that purple guy. He found me again. And then,” the tears started to flow more, faster, “and then he…” The child felt his knees collapse below him. He fell, Freddy tried to catch him, but he just faded right through the paws. He looked up at the animatronics. “I’m not alive, am I?”_

_The three were at a loss of words, looking at the boy as he waited for an answer._

_“Why? Why did this happen to me?” He looked away, but the tears didn’t stop. “I’ve been trying to leave. I just want to go home. I want to be with my mommy and big brother again. I miss them. Why can’t I just go home? Why can’t I leave? Why…” He returned his gaze to the animatronics. “Why didn’t you help me? Why didn’t you all hear me and stop the purple guy? Why!?”_

_Fredbear stepped over to kneel in front of the child. “Little boy, we are so sorry for what happened to you, but we couldn’t…we couldn’t have known. If we’ve known we would have done anything to help you but-.”_

_“But you didn’t!” the child screamed. Below his feet shadowy wisps rose from the ground, starting to whip around him. He didn’t pay it any mind, but the animatronics did back up in fear._

_“The hell is going on?!” Spring questioned, reaching for his brothers. “How the hell is this even happening!?”_

_Fredbear stood, pulling Freddy with him. Just as the three animatronics backed away a good distance from the child, they noticed his eyes began to glow a dark red._

_“Don’t do that! Don’t back away from me!” the child screamed. “Why are you backing away from me!” The shadowy wisps began to grow, twisting around the child threateningly._

_Freddy raised a paw to try and calm the child. “Little boy, listen we-.”_

_“Nick! My name is Nick! Stop calling me a little boy!”_

_“O-okay, Nick…” Freddy tried again. “Nick, we just want to help you now. Just calm down.”_

_“You can’t! Nick screamed. “You can’t just help me now! It’s too late!”_

_“Please, please,” Fredbear spoke up. “We can figure this out.”_

_Nick seemed to calm down just a little, the wisps around him lowering just a few inches._

_Fredbear took that has an okay to continue. “Nick, we are so, so sorry for what happened to you. We really are. I wish I could turn back time and save you. But let us help you now.”_

_The apparition thought over what the golden bear said. He went quiet, but after a moment he let his glare return to its intensity, and the shadowy wisps went back to full force. “I don’t need your help! I’m_ dead! _There isn’t anything you can do for me anymore! I’m stuck here now! Because no one would help me! Because of that…that…” Realization dawned on the ghost’s face. He let out a breath as if it all made sense to him. “I…that’s it. That’s it!”_

_“Wh-what are you talking about, ki-I-I mean Nick?” Spring asked._

_Nick’s glare returned and he looked down at the rabbit. “I want to find_ him _.”_

_Fredbear tilted his head confused. “Him?”_

_A deep scowl formed on the ghost’s face, eyes burning a brighter red. The shadow wisps shot out like a whip, slamming into the golden bear. Fredbear let out a cry of pain as he slammed into the floor._

_“Fredbear!” Spring and Freddy shouted, running to help him up._

_“Idiot!” Nick hissed. “The purple guy of course! This is all his fault!”_

_Spring raised a paw up at the boy, his own glare forming up. “Hey! I know this entire thing sucks but Fredbear just wanted to help!”_

_“You idiots couldn’t help me then! Why should I trust you can help me now!?” Nick’s feet began to leave the ground. He floated up until he was eyelevel with the animatronics. “So, unless you three can bring me that purple guy, stay out of my way!” His form started to fade away. “I’m gonna do things my way!”_

_“What do you mean?” Freddy asked._

_“I won’t rest until I find that murderer! I’m gonna do whatever it takes until he’s in front of me.” Nick’s figure was almost gone completely, a twisted, insane smirk forming on his small face. “And when I do find him…I’ll make sure he pays for everything he’s done to me.”_

_The ghost vanished from sight, leaving the three animatronics alone, confused and scared. They looked at each other, Fredbear wrapping the two in a protective grip. There were no words that they could say. They just remained silent, letting their minds race until the morning light returned._

* * *

 

Freddy let his story fade into silence, keeping his gaze on the ground.

“A ghost,” Mike ended up speaking up after a moment. “You actually saw the ghost of that little boy?”

“I know it’s hard to believe. But, believe me, Mike. Nick’s ghost is very real.” Freddy looked directly in the guard’s eyes. “And he meant it when he said he would go to any length to find the purple man who killed him.”

Mike’s face twisted into confusion as he listened. Then it dawned on him. “You guys attacking the night guards…That’s Nick, isn’t it?”

The older bear looked at the guard. He nodded before lowering his head, placing a paw over his eyes. “Yes, Mike, it is, but it isn’t that simple.”

“What do you mean?”

Freddy removed his paw and returned to locking his eyes onto Mike. He needed to know Mike could see how serious he was. “You see Mike, it isn’t _just_ Nick.”

“What?” Mike didn’t understand. “If it isn’t just Nick, then who else is behind this?”

Freddy went to speak, but suddenly the lights began to flicker. Everyone turned curious looks up to see each light fixture flashing on and off rapidly.

“What the hell is going on with the lights?” Bonnie asked, tilting his head.

The sound of a door opening followed, and they all turned to see Mr. Fazbear storm out. “What’s going on out here!?”

The animatronics looked at their owner. “Mr. Fazbear. We don’t-.”

The lights started flipping on and off faster until finally the bulbs couldn’t seem to take it any longer and went out completely. All looked to try and find the cause when suddenly they heard it, dark, eerie whispers echoing out around them.

Mike and Mr. Fazbear both began walking around. The Toys stood next, trying to find the cause.

_“It’s time. It’s time!”_ the echoing voice spoke around everyone. “ _We gotta start now! Come on! Wake up! Wake up! Get him. Get him! GET HIM!”_

Everyone placed a hand to their ears at the last line, the voice rising, growing louder and louder until it was unbearable to listen to.

“What the hell is that!?” Mr. Fazbear yelled, looking very perturbed.

There was another yell and they all looked to see Bonnie and Chica clutching their heads, crouching down in pain.

“Bonnie? Chica?” Mike asked worriedly, walking up to the two. “What’s wrong? Are you guys okay?”

Freddy came up to them next, placing a hand on both of their shoulders. “Guys, what’s going on?”

“F-freddy…Mike…” Chica stuttered out. “It’s _them_. They are trying to…they…” She suddenly collapsed down, an arm the only thing keeping her from falling completely. Bonnie followed suit next. Both of their heads were slumped down.

“Guys?” Mike asked, leaning in closer.

Suddenly and without warning, both Bonnie and Chica shot up, lunging straight at Mike. The guard let out a scream, eyes widening in fear as they locked onto the dark black eyes of the two animatronics.

“Mikey!” Freddy and Foxy screamed together, reaching out. Freddy grasped Bonnie by the arms while Foxy did the same to Chica. The bear and fox held the out of control animatronics back with a bit of a struggle. “Mike! Get to the office now! You’ll be safe in there!”

“I-I…”

“NOW!” Freddy demanded.

Mike stood up. He was about to make a run for it when a clammy hand grasped onto his arm. He looked over and saw the terrified Mr. Fazbear. The old man didn’t know what to do, just cling onto his night guard in fear.

“M-Mr. Fazbear, come with me!”

Right when Mike started to pull the old man with him, a dark shadow shot up from the ground between the two.

“ _We don’t want him_ ,” the same voice from before hissed. The shadow wrapped around Mr. Fazbear’s arm and began to tug him to the front door. The old man screamed, terrified, as he was dragged away. The shadow released his arm only to move behind him and give a rough shove. The man tumbled out the glass doors, falling hard on the cement outside. In a state of fear, Mr. Fazbear stumbled to his feet before scrambling away screaming.

Mike watched this entire thing stunned. He just couldn’t believe what he witnessed.

“Mike!” Freddy yelled. “You need to go to your office! They won’t let you leave. I know they won’t.”

“Who!?” the guard asked. “Who is ‘they’?”

“The other ghosts,” Freddy explained. “Nick isn’t the only one.”

“What?” Mike couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

Freddy looked up at the clock as he held back the struggling Bonnie. It was only 11:30. “Damn it, you guys. You’ve never started this early.” He looked over at Fred, gesturing with his head as he spoke. “Fred, take Mike to his office. Keep him safe until it gets closer to 12. Foxy and I will keep Bonnie and Chica away as long as we can.”

“But what about us?” Fred questioned.

“When it gets close to 12 head to the basement. Mr. Fazbear’s office is still unlocked, so you should be able to find the key to the basement and lock the door. I just need you all to protect Mike for at least 20 minutes. We can’t risk any of the power for the cameras being wasted until it’s at least close to 12.”

The Toys nodded their heads, understanding. “Come along, Mike.” Fred grabbed him by the arm and lead him to the office.

Freddy and Foxy watched the concerned Mike leave, still holding on tightly to Bonnie and Chica.

“Cap’n?” Foxy spoke when it was just the four. “I don’t think the ghosts like us talking about them.”

Freddy looked down at the out of control Bonnie. He let out a frustrated breath, shaking his head. “No. I don’t think they do.” He looked towards the fox. “How are you feeling, Foxy? You still in control?”

“I be fine, Cap’n.” The fox looked at his sister. “What about them? They clearly not be in control.”

“We just hold them back until we can’t anymore. The third night is always when it gets harder to keep in control. We just have to hope Mike has figured out everything by now to get by on his own after the Toys return to the basement.”

“I believe in Mike. I know he will be okay.”

While Freddy and Foxy held back Chica and Bonnie, Mike finally approached the office door, swooping inside and plopping on the chair. He watched as Fred and Bon-Bon stayed to his right while Mangle and Chicky went to his left.

“Oh wow, this office has doors. Back in the old place, the nightguards didn’t even have that,” Bon-Bon commented, looking around. He made a face when he noticed all the trash around the dusty office.

“Now’s not the time to speak about the design, Bon-Bon,” Fred said. “We have to keep an eye out for the others just in case. Mike, I suggest you don’t worry about looking through the cameras until after we leave.”

“Got it,” Mike said with a nod. Knowing he would be safe for a few minutes as long as he had the Toys with him, the guard took the time to relax in his seat. “Okay, so I’m guessing we pissed off that ghost kid, Nick by talking about him. Didn’t we?”

“Most likely,” Fred agreed.

The guard waited for a moment before speaking. “Hey, did you guys know about Nick?”

They all seemed to hesitate for a second before Fred let out a sigh. “Yes. We do know. I believe all of us animatronics know about him. We just didn’t know the…I guess you could call it the origins of Nick.”

“Fred’s right,” Bon-Bon said. “ _Our_ introduction to Nick was a few years later when he…well started his big plan to find the purple guy. We are just as in the dark as say Foxy or Chica about everything that happened from Nick’s death to our creation. And even then, we just discovered there was a huge gap from when we were deactivated to today. So, who knows what else we are missing from the story?”

“But you guys _do_ know about him, right?” Mike questioned the Toys. “There’s gotta be something more you can tell me about him. And what did Freddy mean before? There are more ghosts? You guys have to know about them?”

Chicky shook her head. “We know a very small amount. The others would have more information.”

Mike groaned, throwing his hands to his head. “You gotta be kidding me. So, I have to wait until morning to get all these new details sorted out. That’s not even fair!”

“We’re sorry Mike.” Chicky laid a hand on the guard’s shoulder. “I wish I could tell you more. But a lot of the bad things that happened all took place before we were made.”

“In fact,” Fred began. “We had a hunch that the terrible things that did happen inadvertently made Mr. Fazbear order his engineer to make us.”

“By the time we were finished being made, Freddy and the others were in a really bad shape,” Bon-Bon stepped in. “The original four were glitching badly. They could barely stay active and the most they were moving around was at night, and…well you know how they get at night now. Besides, even if they acted normal, _we_ also don’t act ourselves at night, so it would be impossible for any of us four to talk to them.”

“The point Bon-Bon is making,” Fred decided to finish. “We just never had the proper time to speak to Freddy and the others about all that took place before our creation. It was a rarity to talk to them and when we did, it was mostly to get to know each other. The only bits of the story that Freddy is telling you that we do know is from context clues and just general guessing.”

 “I understand,” Mike said. “Man…I just wish I could understand just how many shitty things happened in this business. And more importantly-.” Mike stopped talking to slouch over his knees, resting his head in his hands. “How am I supposed to even stop all this. I don’t know the first thing about taking on a ghost, let alone _multiple_ ghosts apparently!”

The Toys were silent, exchanging glances as they tried to think of ways to comfort the human. Suddenly Chicky had an idea.

She knelt over to him after making sure Mangle could handle look out duty by themselves. She wrapped a comforting wing over his shoulders. “Hey, what are you talking about? You already _are_ doing a good job at taking on Nick and the others.”

Mike peeked at her through his fingers. “What do you mean?”

“Look, I know you don’t have much of a way to compare your night guard experience with previous guards but look around you Mikey! You must be doing something to get Nick on edge. I mean, it doesn’t make anything easier, if anything it makes it harder but think about it. Nick woke _us_ up in hopes to get to you. He and the other ghosts have been much more persistent at trying to make Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy to lose it. He made Bonnie and Chica go crazy thirty minutes before the usual time! I don’t know about you, but it seems like this Nick brat is getting pretty desperate to kill ya.”

Mike thought over her words before giving a dark laugh. “I don’t know if I should be reassured by that or not?” He laughed before sitting up straight. “But I see what you mean, Chicky. You’re right. I guess I must be doing something right if Nick is trying so hard to get me. I just wanna know why he’s so desperate to kill night guards.”

Fred sighed. “Unfortunately, that may have to be an explanation for another time.” Fred glanced at the clock, grateful it only read 11:45. “Still a bit of time to spare.” He ran his paw over the keys he found on Mr. Fazbear’s desk. Not too many, thankfully, but one of them had to be for the basement. All he had to worry about now is get to the basement in time, lock themselves in and wait the night out in their malfunction night modes until six.

The group went quiet, the Toys returning to keeping an eye out for any of the original four, and it seems it is a good thing they were prepared as they heard Freddy’s panicked voice scream out.

“Guys! Foxy lost it! He’s coming!”

Fred and Bon-Bon gasped as they heard frantic running. They looked down the hall just in time to see Foxy at the end, running at full speed toward the office. The two braced themselves and caught the fox before he could slip inside to Mike.

Mike went to reach for the door, wanting to get Fred and Bon-Bon inside to safety, but Chicky stopped him.

“No, Mike. Freddy explained to us about the power. You can’t waste any of the energy for your office just yet.”

“But-!”

“Fred and Bon-Bon will be okay,” Chicky reassured. She turned her head as Mangle tapped her on the shoulder. The white and pink fox just tilted their head and Chicky gasped when she caught a glimpse of Chica approaching. She looked over at Mike quickly. “Remember, don’t close the doors just yet.” She then slipped out in the hall with Mangle and the two grabbed the older chicken, keeping her at bay.

Mike was trapped in his office, watching helplessly at Foxy who screamed and thrashed in the toy bear and rabbit’s arms and then back over at Chica who was being shoved away by the remaining Toys. Chica proved to be the easier one to handle and Mangle gave a final shove to the chicken and Chica stepped away to another location of the building. The two returned with a huff.

Fred and Bon-Bon meanwhile, struggled a bit as they pushed Foxy away, both having to be wary of Foxy’s sharp teeth and hook.

“Do you guys need help?” Chicky asked, stepping closer.

“N-no, we are fine!” Fred said, taking another step forward, managing to get Foxy a bit farther from the office. “Just keep an eye out on the other side.”

“O-okay,” Chicky reluctantly stepped away, back over to Mangle.

Bon-Bon looked up at Foxy and into his darkened eyes. “Come on, you stupid pirate! Snap out of it already!”

“You have to fight it, Foxy!” Fred tried next. “For Mike!”

Hearing the name, Foxy seemed to regain some control. His thrashing suddenly went still, and he became limp in the Toys’ arms.

“Is…is he okay now?” Bon-Bon questioned.

“I think so?” Fred said, hesitantly releasing his grip, but kept in a stance just in case he needed to return to fending Foxy off.

“Foxy?” Bon-Bon asked, placing a paw to the pirate’s jaw. “Hey? You okay in there? Can you hear me?”

Foxy gave a twitch and that is when his hook arm swung up, ready to swipe at the rabbit.

Fred gasped in fright, pushing his brother to the side. “Toy Bonnie, look out!”

Foxy’s hook slashed into Fred’s chest, tearing a deep hole within his suit. He hissed in pain, gripping the injury with one paw, but still held back Foxy with another.

Bon-Bon stared at his older brother, stunned. But didn’t dwell on it too much as he instantly went to help, shoving Foxy away. The two managed to finally get the pirate to the end of the hall and give a rough push, knocking Foxy on the ground.

The fox let out a cry of pain before his eyes returned to normal. He shook his head before looking up at the others. “Fred? Bon-Bon?” He realized where he was and his head dropped. “Oh no…I lost it.”

“It’s okay, you tried your best,” Fred reassured.

“But me best wasn’t good enough!” Foxy snapped. He would have said more but his eyes instantly settled on the fresh tear on Fred’s suit. The pirate felt his jaw drop and his ears drop. “Fred…did…did I do that to ya?”

Fred acted nonchalant as he looked down at his chest. “Hmm? Oh this? It’s nothing. Just the suit. Easy repair. No damage to my endoskeleton.”

“But-.”

Foxy couldn’t finish as Fred pulled him up and gently pushed him away. “Now, now. Not the time. This _brat…_ that _is_ what you called me earlier, correct?...has to return to Mike. You should return to your Pirate’s Cove, alright?”

“But-!”

“No more buts, captain. Off you go! Ta ta! Farewell! And I’ll see you in the morning!”

Foxy sighed, seeing he wasn’t going to get his way and knew Fred was right in the end. He needed to go in the comfort of his room, hoping the familiar feel of the pirate theme will keep him calm for the night.

Fred and Bon-Bon watched him leave before Bon-Bon frowned deeply, crossing his arms over his chest. “You didn’t have to do that, you know?”

“What do you mean? Foxy had to leave or-.”

“Not that…save me? It would have just been a tear in my suit too. Besides, Foxy could have accidentally hurt your endoskeleton, and I doubt we have replacements for our models just lounging around in storage.”

“And he could have done the same to you. Either way one of us would have been damaged in some way.” Fred turned around, walking down the hall. “We should just be grateful it was just the suit. Maybe we can find a needle and thread somewhere and sew this back up in the morning.”

“Fred, I-.”

“Come on,” Fred interrupted. “Let’s check back with Mike before we have to leave for the basement.”

The rabbit watched as Fred went ahead down the hall before sighing, ears drooping down, and following after.

“Are you guys okay?” Mike instantly asked. He didn’t hear much, too preoccupied with Chicky and Mangle in keeping an eye out for Chica to really listen in on their conversation.

“Fred, your chest!” Chicky pointed out in concern.

“It’s nothing,” Fred waved them off. “What’s the time?” He looked at the clock on the desk and hissed in annoyance. “11:55. Mike, we have to go now. I trust you can handle the rest of the night on your own?”

“I can.”

“You have the Freddy mask?”

Mike nodded, showing it off. “Right here.”

Fred seemed pleased as he stepped away. “Good. We’re off. Good luck, Mike. Hopefully, you won’t need to use that mask at all tonight but be ready just in case we do break out. Now good luck and we’ll see you in the morning.”

“See ya.” Mike watch them leave down the hall. He decided to risk it and quickly turn on the camera to check on their progress to the basement. It didn’t take them long as he saw Fred guide the others down the stairs and he quickly shut the door. There was a soft click from the doorknob and with that locking noise, Mike realized his night had officially begun.

His phone suddenly began to ring, terrifying the night guard and making Mike fall out of his chair.

Correction… _now_ his night had officially begun.

Mike groaned, thankful no one, except maybe the ghosts, saw his fall, and blindly reached for the phone as he tried to get back on his chair. He answered it, raising it to his ear as he listened to the latest recording. He frowned as the phone guy just suggested how Mike should just basically play dead and pretend to be an empty suit only to scratch that idea instantly when he noticed a flaw in the plan, and then hung up. Useless information really, and Mike hung up the phone as he went to work.

The phone guy did mention one thing that was true, and that this would be the night when things get real. Although, Mike doubted when the mysterious phone guy recorded this, did he suspect Mike’s particular third night would be going on like this.

Mike just ignored his thoughts on the ex-employee that he doesn’t even know the name of and focus on fending off the animatronics.

If this night really was going to be when it “get’s real” then Mike couldn’t make any mistakes. He decided to see where the other four were. Foxy’s curtain was still closed, so Mike figured the fox was safely tucked away inside. Chica was by one of the tables. Freddy was on stage.

“Great, now just to find BonnieeEEEE-OH MY GOD!” Mike jumped back when he found Bonnie in the supply room, but the rabbit was staring directly in the camera, his face taking almost the entire screen while his dark black eyes stared ominously through the camera and at Mike.

The guard huffed, adjusting himself in his seat as he turned off the camera. “Okay…okay, was not expecting that. But we’re fine. We’re okay. At least I know where everyone is. Right now, just gotta keep an eye on…hmm?”

The guard trailed off when he heard a noise to his left. He turned on the light and there stood the very purple rabbit Mike was talking about.

“…Bonnie…”

The rabbit began to lift a paw, ready to reach for Mike but the guard was quick, slamming his hand on the button to the door and locking the rabbit out. He let out a sigh of relief as he waited for the bunny to leave, moving to check on the others. “Okay, you got this Mike. You got this!”

Mike cheered himself on as the rest of the night moved on.

 

* * *

 

“You so don’t got this! You so don’t got this!”

Mike was screaming as he went back and forth on checking the hallway to his right on Chica who just would not go away! And then back to the cameras to check on Bonnie and Foxy. He occasionally went back to Freddy, but the bear was always back on stage. Mike figured Freddy was just really good at keeping control and eventually stopped checking on the bear all together.

He had about ten percent of power left and Mike was freaking out. He turned on the hallway light once more, groaning when he saw Chica’s face stare right back at him. “Chica, go away! I can’t keep doing this!”

His screams were in vain unfortunately. He went back, yelping when he noticed Foxy had left, indicated by the wide opened curtain. He heard footsteps and slammed the door to his left close just in time to hear banging on the metal door. He hissed as he noticed his power drop a bit as Foxy hit the door before finally the noise faded and Mike cheered as he watched Foxy return to his cove. He also became happy when Chica finally walked away and he could open both doors and turn off the hallway lights. He saw Bonnie was in the supply closet again, close, but not at the office just yet. He sighed in relief. That’s when the brown bear crossed his mind and Mike decided to check on how Freddy was doing. He clicked on the camera for the stage, expecting to see the bear.

What he saw was an empty stage.

“What?” He clicked until he found Freddy in the camera of the hall to his right. He gulped in fear, risking a peek out the hall and sure enough, there was Freddy, standing not too far from his door. When the bear heard Mike shuffle, he slowly turned his head over to the door, eyes just as dark as the others, the tiny white pupils shining eerily at him. Mike backed up as Freddy started to take a step forward, the guard slamming the door shut.

“Ooookay! So, Freddy finally lost control before the power went out. Good to know…” He groaned, seeing the power drop another percent. “How am I gonna get by. I am so screwed!” He didn’t want to think of the worse that could happen. He had to be positive. Though, it was hard to be positive when something that could kill him was literally just outside his door.

It was strange to Mike how he could love and care so much for his animatronic friends during the day, but at night he was so terrified of them. He wouldn’t admit this to the animatronics, no sir. He would not make them feel bad for something they could not control. This wasn’t them. This was this Nick kid, and possibly much more ghosts. How many, Mike didn’t want to think about that. Instead, he would focus on keeping track of Freddy’s location as well as the others while using as little power as he could.

It was so close to six! Mike just had to worry about ten more minutes! He could do this!

“Yeah! I got this! The power is fine! Except for Freddy, the others are all away. I’m almost done and then we can all have a good laugh about another successful night.” As Mike spoke, he flipped through the cameras quickly, only keeping an eye on the animatronics location. He didn’t even notice the odd change of a Freddy poster that mysteriously turned yellow. “Simple!”

He stepped away from the camera, smiling confidently. That’s when something caught his vision at the corner of his eyes. He yelped in fear, turning over.

He saw the suit of the animatronic first before he could even register what he was looking at. He went back for a double take when suddenly his vision went fuzzy.

Visions flashed before his eyes. He saw letters pop up in his vision, but a swipe of the hand proved they were not in front of him in reality. It took him a moment to understand what it was saying, finally realizing how they read the words, “It’s Me!” It ended with a flash of Freddy’s face, only his eyes were bloodshot. Mike didn’t have time to get a better look as the visions faded away.

Mike had a blasting headache. His head throbbed as he rubbed at his eyes. With head still pounding, he peeked his eyes opened and that’s when he could finally see the animatronic that was there before the freaky visions.

At first Mike thought it was Freddy, but the golden fur was unmistakable. Mike also noticed that the bowtie and top hat this bear wore was a faded color of purple. The bear suit was empty, void of any endoskeleton, and the head was slouch to the side with the mouth gaping open, unable to keep close. It sat there, unmoving, but the empty eye sockets seemed to stare intently at Mike.

There was something about this bear that was familiar to Mike, and he cautiously reached for the suit. That’s when it clicked to him. “Fredb-?”

He couldn’t finish as the second he touched the dirty yellow fur; vision came back. The suit remained still, but his mind was attacked by the image of the golden bear’s face, a raging scream echoing within his head. Mike’s entire head throbbed in pain. He clutched onto his ears, trying to dull the scream, but it did nothing. His knees began to buckle, and he collapsed onto the floor, still covering his ears and trying to soothe his aching head.

The screaming began to fade, the vision doing the same, but that wasn’t the end for poor Mike. He blinked his eyes, but darkness just crept to his gaze. The pain in his head was too much, and the guard fully fell down, upper body joining the rest of his body on the ground, finally giving in to the pain and letting his mind fall unconscious.

 

* * *

 

The power went out, but Freddy was so relieved it went out right at six. He sighed in relief, looking around and realizing he was next to the office. “I got that close?”

The doors sprung open and the lights slowly flickered back on when the power began to reset as the clock struck six. He placed a paw to the side of the entrance, ready to greet Mike.

“Mikey, I’m so sorry. I tried so hard to keep…” Freddy didn’t see Mike at first. “control?” he finished confused. He began to worry, but that feeling was nothing compared to when he looked down and found the passed-out night guard on the floor. “MIKEY!”

His scream must have alerted the others, as his band mates and Foxy barged to the office.

Foxy was the first to show up and he instantly took notice of the guard. “Mikey! What happened to him!?”

“I don’t know?” Freddy knelt down with the fox, scooping the young man in his arms. “Mikey? Mikey, can you hear me?”

“Is he breathing?!” Bonnie asked frantically.

Freddy leaned down, sighing in relief when he heard the gentle flow of Mike’s breath. He nodded in answer before gently shaking Mike. “Mikey, please. You have to wake up. We need to know you are okay.”

There was a beat of a moment before Mike’s face scrunched up. He let out a groan of pain before his eyes began to flutter open. “Hmm? Fr-freddy?”

“Oh, thank goodness!” the bear sighed in joy, hugging the guard tightly to his chest.

“Mikey, what happened?” Chica asked, leaning over her bear brother. “Are you okay?”

The guard looked around, noticing his friends surrounding him, all staring down at him in concern. “Guys? What’s going on? Why are you asking if I’m okay? Of course, I am.”

“Mikey, we found you passed out on the ground.” Bonnie explained. “None of us attacked you, did we?”

“Attacked? No?” Mike questioned more than answered, which didn’t make the animatronics feel better. They waited patiently for the guard to get his bearings. “No,” he finally confirmed. “No, it wasn’t you guys. It was…” His memory finally hit him. The visions. The strange words. Fred-“Fredbear!”

Freddy looked down at Mike, confused and concern. “Fredbear? Mike what are you talking about.”

“I…I saw him. Fredbear, he was right in my office. He just…appeared, out of no where! He was right-.” Mike looked around, but only saw the four animatronics he knew well. “…right there?”

“Mikey, that isn’t possible,” Bonnie explained, ignoring the confusion on the guard’s face. “Fredbear has been put in storage for years, longer than even the Toys. Hell, I don’t think he even has-.”

“An endoskeleton, right!? He didn’t!” Mike interrupted, shocking the rabbit. “He was just slouched over, right where you are Bonnie! And-and he-and _I_ …I just…” The pain of his head returned, and Mike let out a groan, leaning deeper against Freddy and clutching onto his head. “Whoa…”

“Okay, okay…” Freddy shushed, holding the guard protectively against his chest. “Rest. You need to rest now.”

“I’m telling the truth…” Mike said, suddenly feeling very sleepy.

Freddy didn’t respond to this. He just stood up, holding Mike in his arms and slowly began to carry him out of the office.

“Mike,” he did end up saying as he and the others made their way down the hall. “I want you to sleep and rest here until you feel better.”

“What?”

“You are in no shape to walk home. We’ll find you a nice quiet place to rest for the day until you are in shape enough to stand and think properly.”

Mike glared up at Freddy, but the bear did not look at him. “You don’t believe me.”

“Mike, it doesn’t matter if I do or don’t.”

“Freddy, we are dealing with literal ghosts. Why is Fredbear mysteriously popping up in my office such an odd thing to believe.”

“Mike, I don’t want to discuss this right now. You need to rest. End of story.”

“But Freddy!” Mike began to shout.

“Uh, Mike…?” Bonnie tried to speak up, but he was ignored by the guard.

“I’m telling you the truth. Don’t just dismiss what I’m saying! I also saw visions, or are you not going to believe me about that either?”

“Mike, not now…” Freddy spoke evenly, but his grip on Mike was starting to get tighter.

“Fredbear was in my office, Freddy. I don’t know how, but he was there! You have to believe me. This could mean something.”

Bonnie and Chica took noticed of Freddy’s expression, nervously looking at the guard next. “Mikey, you should really stop now,” Bonnie tried to warn.

“The Toys were mysterious activated, right?”

“Mikey, really!” Chica tried next.

“Maybe Fredbear was too!”

Freddy’s grip became even tighter.

The group was now in the main show room. There was a sound of a door opening and closing and those who actually took notice of it, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy, figured the Toys finally decided to leave the basement. At least the plan seemed to work for now.

“Maybe he was trying to call for help! Maybe he needs us too! We should go look for him. Fredbear could be-!”

“FREDBEAR IS GONE!”

No one expected to hear Freddy scream like that. Mike jumped in the bear’s arms, eyes blown wide in shock and a bit of fear.

Bonnie and Chica stood stock still, the rabbit having raised an arm as if he were about to grip at his brother and Chica having both wings to her beak, concern gaze locked on the bear and guard.

Foxy was backing up nervously, tail swishing back and forth behind him anxiously. His eyes were locked on Freddy, his expression stuck in a state of shock at seeing his older brother yell.

The Toys had just reached the show room when Freddy had screamed. They were frozen in place, staring at the scene in shock and confusion, not having heard the exchange from before.

Freddy, meanwhile, was shaking, eyes shut tight and face scrunched up as if in pain. His arms felt heavy and he had to place Mike down on the ground. He tried his best to place the young man down gently, but to his regret, he almost ended up dropping the young man. Mike only saving himself from falling by gripping a nearby table. Oil tear pricked at his eyes, but the bear refused to let them fall. He took a calming breath, straightening up, but his eyes remained shut. “I’m…” he spoke after a moment. “I’m going backstage…” Silently, he walked to the stage, pulling the curtain back before slipping away, out of sight from everyone.

Mike stared after the bear, guilt stabbing him in the chest. He stood, wanting to go after the bear, but Bonnie’s grip on his shoulders stopped him.

“Hold it…” he pulled the guard back slowly. “Leave him be. He needs to be alone for a little bit.”

“B-but…but, I-.”

“I know,” Bonnie reassured with a smile. “I know. Look, you are still in need of rest. We’re still concerned after seeing you passed out like that. Why don’t you go somewhere to rest? I’ll deal with the grumpy bear.”

Mike didn’t seem so happy with the suggestion. He looked up in Bonnie eyes, his own tears starting to form. “I’m sorry…”

Bonnie grinned. He knew Mike was an adult now but seeing him reminded him of when Mike was younger. He almost behaved like a child who just got caught doing something bad. Bonnie ruffled Mike’s hair before stepping back. “Don’t worry about it. Freddy just sucks at emotional stuff. We both know that. I’ll talk to him. You rest. Deal?”

“I…okay…”

Bonnie seemed pleased, looking over at the other animatronics. He suddenly got an idea as he looked over at the Toys. “Why don’t you hang out with the Toys today. You can get to know them better and keep them company.”

“The Toys?” Mike looked over, finally taking notice of them. They still looked stunned and confused by what they saw, but waved awkwardly at Mike when the guard looked at them.

“I can be with ya too, lad,” Foxy suggest. “We can all hang out in me cove. Much nicer than the dingy basement.”

Mike sighed, stepping closer to the pirate. He instantly went to lean against the fox, Foxy gladly wrapping an arm around Mike’s shoulder to help. “Yeah…” he spoke after a moment. “Yeah, that sounds nice.”

“Great. Come me hearty crew. Let’s all go to me ship!” Foxy tried to lighten the air, but Mike didn’t crack a smile as he was guided away by him and the Toys.

When they were out of sight, Bonnie let out an exhausted groan, rubbing his hands over his eyes.

“Bonnie? Is Freddy going to be okay?” Chica asked nervously.

“He’ll be fine…”

“I just-I just never seen him get like that before. I don’t think I have ever seen him get angry.” Chica looked at the stage, hoping her leader and brother would just walk past the curtains, smile on his face as he went over the plans for the day like usual.

Bonnie shook his head. “No, I’ve seen him like this before. I think it was before Scott finished building ya. I know how to deal with him when he gets this moody.” He took a step towards the stage. “Why don’t you play with Cupcake for a bit? I’m gonna talk to him.”

“O-oh…” Chica’s mood lowered when she realized Bonnie didn’t want her to come with him. “Okay.”

“Hey, don’t give me that,” Bonnie spoke with a smirk. “Later you can talk to the ol’ bear too and slap some sense into him, okay?”

Chica gave a faint smile, hugging Cupcake to her chest. “Okay.”

The rabbit gave her a thumbs up before pulling back the curtain. He instantly found Freddy hunched over in an awkward ball shape. He stepped inside the small space, letting the curtain flow behind him. “Okay Freddy, time to talk.”   

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I can already say chapter 5 should be up soon, but maybe not too soon. I want a few days to go by before I upload it even though chapter 5 is almost finished being written and I'll probably be finishing it up and working on chapter 6 in a few hours. 
> 
> Anyways, I hope you all enjoyed again. If you did please leave a kudos and a comment. They really mean a lot to me. I really love reading any comments I get. And also I guess if you made it to this point you must really enjoy this story or maybe it is just a good time waster XD either way I'm glad because it means a lot to me too. So thank you once again. Until next time, see ya!


	5. How They Met

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie and Freddy discuss the possibility of their older bear brother being around and Mike and Foxy share a nostalgic moment of their own past to the curious Toys.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! Next chapter! I really hope you are all enjoying this. If so, I really would appreciate any comments and kudos you all may want to share. It helps me know this story is being well received by you guys. 
> 
> But either way, here is the chapter! Read and enjoy!

“Okay Freddy, time to talk.”

“Go away, Bonnie,” Freddy spoke softly, not moving an inch to look at his brother.

“No freaking way am I leaving right now.” Bonnie stepped over to the bear, plopping down next to his brother. “Okay, talk.”

“No.”

“Freddy…”

The bear went silent, burying his head deeper in his folded-up arms and knees.

“Freddo~” Bonnie tried next, smirking.

Still no response.

The rabbit let out a groan, whacking the back of the bear’s head. “Oh my god, will you stop this!? You are acting worse than a child right now!”

“I don’t want to see anyone right now. Not after how I acted.” Freddy tried to keep his face hidden from his younger brother, not wanting Bonnie to see the tears in his eyes.

The bunny just shook his head, leaning back with his arms holding his upper body up. “Dude, you just freaked out. It’s understandable. I mean, I was also shocked when I heard Golden’s name.”

“I wasn’t just shocked, Bonnie. It just…It just couldn’t have been him. I refuse to believe it!” Freddy started to explain. “Mike couldn’t have seen him. Fredbear’s been deactivated for years…Scott had to take his endoskeleton away! Everything that _was_ Fredbear is gone. All we have left is his suit…” Freddy shook his head. “It’s just impossible.”

Bonnie stared over at his brother for a moment. He thought over his words very carefully before speaking. “Well…what _if_ Mike did see Golden? What then?”

“What?” Freddy lifted his head just enough to pass a quizzical look Bonnie’s way. “Bonnie, I’m telling you that it is physically impossible!”

“I’m just saying…” Bonnie started to defend. “What _if?_ ‘If’ being the keyword. I’m not saying Mike is right, but I’m not saying he’s wrong either. This is just purely hypothetical.”

Freddy was silent as he thought over what Bonnie said. He couldn’t fight off the teasing smirk as he spoke next. “Big word from Bonnie today. I’m impressed.”

“Hey!” Bonnie smacked at his head again. “Don’t change the subject! And I know plenty of big words! I just choose not to use them!”

“Uh huh…”

“Anyways, just think about it, dude. Mikey’s got a good point. We have to deal with supernatural stuff all the time. I mean, it’s not unreasonable to believe that something spooky happened to Golden’s suit. I’m not saying Mike saw Fredbear, but well, his suit…well that’s a whole different thing.”

“What does that mean?”

“You said it yourself,” Bonnie pointed out. “All that was Fredbear is gone when Scott took his endoskeleton and his A.I. and memory cards. The suit may have stayed, but that’s all it is now. A suit. A suit that just happens to belong to our older brother, but yeah, you get the point.”

Freddy went back to being quiet as he looked over at the rabbit.

“Now, maybe Mike really did see Fredbear’s suit. But you are also right in a way. He didn’t see _Fredbear_. Just another ghost in Fredbear’s suit. That may explain why it wasn’t in the office when we got there.”

Freddy thought it over before sighing. “I suppose that’s possible…”

“There ya go!” Bonnie grinned. “Look, I know it’s probably something you don’t want to think about, but at least you can see that Mike might have been telling the truth now. Maybe we can go investigate this later, you know. See if we can find some more answers and then-.” His smile fell when he noticed Freddy didn’t look any happier with the conclusion. He sighed, leaning back. He decided to wait a moment before speaking again. “You know, I miss him too.”

“Hmm?” Freddy peaked his head over, clearly showing signs of being lost in thought. Once Bonnie’s words registered in his head he gasped, looking guilty. “O-oh! Bonnie, I know. I know. I never meant to-I-I mean, of course you would-.”

“Calm down before you short-circuit.” He grinned at his brother. “I’m just saying I miss him too. And Spring. Those two certainly knew how to liven things up, didn’t they?”

Freddy hesitated for a second before responding. “Yeah, they sure did.” He grinned. “They certainly had their own style.”

Bonnie laughed. “Oh yeah. Hey, remember that day when Golden wanted to surprise us for _our_ birthdays at the same time. He ended up forcing Spring to write an original song for us so they could sing it together.”

Freddy’s own laughter joined in as he remembered the day. “Oh yeah! And then Spring ended up writing a joke song instead that made fun of Golden.”

“Haha! Oh, old Goldie Locks was so pissed at Spring. He made him clean the entire restaurant that night and write a real song as an apology.”

“Yeah, yeah! Oh, that was a good day.”

Freddy and Bonnie’s shared laughter filled the space around them, completely changing the mood from earlier.

“You know, I always found it silly how Golden would celebrate the day we finished being built as our birthdays.”

“Well, those days kinda are our birthdays, in a sense. And what do we all do best?” Freddy said with a smirk.

“I know, I know…never said it was a bad thing. It was nice. Always made me feel special when Fredbear took the time to make my day special. He even managed to get Spring to treat me better during those days. Haha…ha…aah.” Bonnie suddenly felt his mood drop at the bringing up Spring, ears drooping down.

Freddy suddenly found the tables being turned and he went to give Bonnie a one-armed hug. “Oh Bonnie…”

There were tears in the rabbit’s eyes, but Bonnie quickly wiped them away. “Hey, I’m fine. My personal problems aren’t the issue right now. Yours is. So? How you feel?”

“Bonnie, you can talk about Spring if you-.”

“I said, ‘how do _you_ feel’?” Bonnie asked again. He rolled his eyes when he noticed Freddy giving him a look. “Okay, listen. Now’s not the time to talk about that. I’m fine, really. Right now, I want to make sure you are okay so I can go back to check on Mike.”

Freddy suddenly let the issue with Bonnie die as he remembered the night guard and how he acted towards him. “Mikey! Right! Oh jeez…” Freddy lowered his head in shame. “Oh, he must think I’m a big jerk…”

Bonnie grinned, a little happy the topic got changed so quickly. “Well, ya are, but Mike doesn’t think so. Don’t know how he doesn’t, but he doesn’t.”

“Thanks for that…” Freddy said sarcastically.

“Hey, Mikey will be okay. I’m sure he’s blaming himself right now for making you upset.”

“I should go talk to him.” Freddy stood, going to the curtain. He stopped, turning to look at his brother. “Oh, and Bonnie. Thanks.”

The rabbit grinned, giving a playful jab at Freddy’s arm. “No problem, bro. I just don’t want to deal with a grumpy old bear all day long. That’s all.”

“Who are you calling old? I’m only a year older than you.”

“Well that’s a year too old.” Bonnie laughed as Freddy went to playfully hit him back.

Freddy gave him another smile before pulling back the curtain. “Oh, one more thing. Don’t think I forgot about you getting upset. We’re gonna talk about this later, okay?”

Bonnie groaned as the topic of his problems was brought back. “Freddy, no!”

“Freddy, yes,” was all the bear said before stepping out from the stage and made his way to the center of the show room.

“Freddy!” Chica shouted in joy, running to her brother and hugging him. “You came out!”

“Hey, Chica.” Freddy hugged her back. “I’m so sorry about earlier.”

“Are you okay now?”

“Yeah. I just needed to calm my head. Bonnie helped a lot.”

Bonnie smirked, leaning against the bear. “I’m the master of getting through to this idiot.”

“First you call me old, and now an idiot?” Freddy took a step away, watching as Bonnie tumbled in his spot at losing his support. “Now, where is Mike. I need to apologize to him.”

“He’s in Pirate’s Cove with Foxy and the Toys.”

“Got it. I’m gonna go talk to him.” Freddy made his way to the side room. Once he turned to the entrance of Pirate’s cove he looked inside, seeing the Toys and Foxy sitting in a circle on the ground. Sprawled out in the circle was Mike, head resting on Foxy’s lap. A spare tablecloth was spread over the guard in a makeshift blanket. Foxy was petting Mike’s hair to sooth the stressed guard.

Freddy had to shift in his spot, but he could see the content face of Mike as he slept peacefully against the animatronic pirate.

His presence was caught by the others, Foxy turning his head to look at his brother. He offered a smile before placing his hook to his mouth in a gesture for the bear to keep quiet. “He passed out almost instantly when we all settled down.” Foxy explained softly when Freddy walked closer.

“Is he okay?”

“He be a bit shaken up. He’s worried he upset you and kept blaming himself.”

Freddy’s shoulder’s sagged. “I was afraid of that…”

“Are _ye_ alright, Cap’n?” Foxy asked concerned.

“Yeah, I’m better now. I just let my emotions get the best of me.” He looked down at Mike. Despite how upset he knew the guard was, Freddy couldn’t help but smile fondly at the sleeping guard. He remembered when Mike was a child and during the times the band would go on break, Mike would crawl into one of the animatronic’s laps on occasion and take a small nap. The four would eventually have to hide in secret because many of the other children would want to do the same. They decided Mike’s nap time would be special only for him rather quickly.

Freddy leaned down, patting at the young man’s hair before sighing. “Can you let Mikey know when he wakes up that I want to apologize to him. He can head out to the show room later so I can talk to him.”

“Aye, Cap’n. I can do that.”

“Thanks, Foxy.” He stepped back, going closer to Bonnie and Chica. “Well, I’ll let him sleep. He needs it after last night.” He waved at the others. “I’ll see you all tonight. Don’t cause too much trouble while we are working?”

“I make no promise~” Bon-Bon called out with a smirk.

Freddy laughed before turning away with his band. He drifted by the door just long enough to cast one last glance at Mike before walking off. Well, might as get ready for the rest of the day.

 

* * *

 

Mike’s eyes fluttered open and he let out a groan. He felt something brush against his head and he blinked one last time to focus his sight. He gazed up and saw Foxy smiling down at him. There was a chuckle and Foxy removed his paw. “Morning lad.”

Mike yawned, stretching his body. “How long was I out?”

“For a while now,” Foxy explained. “It’s be already 12:30.”

“What!?” Mike sprung up like a spring, looking around. “I’ve been asleep for six hours!”

“Well yeah,” it was Chicky who spoke up. “You were exhausted after your shift. I’m not shocked.”

“It’s really for the best,” Fred said next. “You need your sleep before your night shift, correct? Perhaps a little more sleep would be best?”

“No, no…” Mike groaned, running his hands over his face. “I kinda want to wake up now anyways.” He stood up, stretching his limbs.

“How are you feeling, by the way dear?” Bon-Bon asked.

“Better?” Mike more questioned than answered. “I still feel groggy, but my headache is gone.” He rubbed his head, scrunching his eyes shut. Just then they snapped open. “Freddy! Is he okay? I need to talk to him!”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Foxy gently called, grabbing him. “And Freddy wants to talk to you.”

Mike’s mouth moved as if he wanted to speak but could not find the words.

“He be fine, Mikey. Cap’n Freddy feels just as bad about this morning. He came shortly after you fell asleep to apologize. He wants to speak to you lad so you two can clear the air.”

The guard nodded his head, looking around at the others. “I should go check on him.”

“He may be on stage right now,” Fred explained. “But I’m sure he’ll put the band on break to speak to you.”

Mike seemed to agree, giving the bear a smile. “Yeah,” he started to stand up, “that’s a good ide-aaaah!”

The Toys and Foxy all stood to try and catch the wobbling Mike. The guard’s arms flapped about as he tried to regain the balance he lost as he went to his feet.

“Mikey, you okay?” Bon-Bon asked worriedly, clutching onto the young man’s left arm.

“Y-yeah, just got dizzy for a second.”

“Hmm…” Fred seemed to study him, his eyes roaming over Mike before he nodded to himself as he concluded in his head. “I believe you should definitely rest more here.”

“Here?”

“Unless you have someone outside the restaurant who can take you home.” Fred crossed his arms as he waited for Mike’s response.

The guard hesitated before slowly shaking his head. “N-no, not really. I don’t have many friends in town and I usually just walk to work.”

“Then it’s settled. You rest here for the remainder of the day.”

“Bu-but-.”

“No buts.” Fred shook a finger in front of Mike as he laid a paw to the guard’s back to gently push him forward. “This is for the best, Mike.”

“It’s best to do as he says,” Bon-Bon spoke up, giving an eyeroll in Fred’s direction. “This dictator thinks he has the solution for everything and won’t accept anyone else’s opinion.”

“If you have a better solution for Mike while he is clearly not in a state to return to his home safely, I’ll gladly hear it, Toy Bonnie.”

“Oh, pulling out the full name, are we Fred dear?”

“I swear, why must you always be so trouble-.”

“Guys!” Foxy snapped, glaring at the two. “Now not be the time for your daily squabble.” He gave them one final look as the two seemed to silently agree and backed off. Foxy huffed before looking back at the human. “Mikey, Fred does have a good point. I be worried you could fall over and hurt ye-self on the way back home. Maybe staying here for the day won’t be too bad of an idea. We have plenty of food we can feed ya, and you seemed comfortable enough resting in here with us.”

“I…I don’t know.”

“Just for today lad?” Foxy all but begged, trying to convey how seriously he thought about this.

Mike sighed before giving a small smile and nodding. “Okay yeah. I’ll stay in here for the day.” He carefully stepped away from the animatronics to test if he could stay standing on his own. Once he was satisfied, he gestured outside the cove with his thumb. “But I’m still gonna go talk to Freddy. Then I’ll return here to rest. Deal?”

“Deal!” Foxy agreed, raising his paw to shake with Mike’s hand.

The guard laughed as he took the paw. He looked over at the Toys who seemed happy with the agreement before chuckling again. “You know, this may be for the best. I still haven’t really gotten to know you four yet.”

“That’s a good point,” Bon-Bon said with a smile. “I wouldn’t mind talking more to yo-whoa! Mangle, calm down!” Bon-Bon jumped back as Mangle started moving around in excitement at the idea, a static-like noise escaping from their damaged muzzle.

“Looks like Mangle likes this,” Chicky said smirking. “Afterall, we didn’t really get a chance to talk to each other last night apart from our introduction.”

Mike grinned at her. “Yeah, that does sound nice.” He looked around before back to the entrance to the cove. “Welp, I should really go find Freddy. I’ll see you guys soon.” He offered them a wave, taking slow steps out of the room as the others waved back.

The first thing he noticed is how much brighter the building felt. Usually, by the time he had arrived, most of the main lights of the building were already off. But the place wasn’t just brighter in the sense of lighting, but also with noise and overall energy.

Mike could hear children yell out in joy and could even see some run around from his spot outside the cove. He could also hear music blast out and the familiar voices of Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica singing together to one of their overly cheerful songs. He started to walk closer to the main show room and sure enough, he could see the three animatronics in their glory. It brought a big smile to Mike’s face.

Mike almost can’t remember when he last saw the three up on stage singing to their animatronic heart’s content. It brought back many of his childhood memory, looking over the younger kids cheer and dance in front of the animatronics. There was a loud squeal of excitement from behind and Mike turned to see a child just beat an arcade game and just won a long stream of tickets. The guard chuckled at the sight, remembering when he too would cheer at winning tickets so he could get the next big prize he would have his eye on. Mike remembered how one of his favorite prizes was a Foxy plush toy that he was lucky to get before they were taken away when Foxy’s act was shut down.

“Okay children!” Freddy’s voice echoed around. Mike looked back at them, noticing the bear was looking in his direction. “My buddies and I are going on a short break! But don’t you worry! We’ll be back to sing you more fuuuun songs in a bit! In the meantime, why don’t you enjoy our faaaantastic pizza!?”

“I know I will!” Chica said with a smile.

“Chica!” Freddy and Bonnie spoke in an overly exaggerated tone, giving the chicken a look before all three burst out laughing.

The spotlights over the three dimmed and Freddy locked eyes with the guard, gesturing him to come forward. Mike gave him a smile and a nod before walking forward. “Hey, Freddo,” he greeted with a smile, instantly earning an annoyed groan from the bear and a laugh from the rabbit.

“Dang it, Bonnie, look what you started!” Freddy shot a glare at his brother.

“Hahaha! I’m gonna get that nickname rolling!” Bonnie cheered.

“No, you better not.” Freddy rolled his eyes before looking over at Mike. “Hey, Mikey. How are you?”

“I’m fine now, Freddy. Really. And you?”

“Same here.” The bear offered him a reassuring smile. He ended up looking a little nervous before speaking again. “Look, Mike, about earlier…I’m sorry I yelled like that. I shouldn’t have gotten so emotional like I did. Especially after you were hurt and just finished a night shift.”

“Freddy, relax,” Mike raised a hand. “Look, maybe you were right. Maybe I was just seeing things after a stressful night. Maybe F-Fredbear really wasn’t there…And…and even if he _was,_ I should have thought over how you would have reacted. I mean, I know how much your brother meant to you, and I…I’m just,” Mike didn’t realize he was getting emotional as he remembered how upset Freddy was before he fell asleep in Foxy’s lap earlier. He sniffled, trying to think over his words. “I’m just so sorr-.”

“Mikey, Mikey, hey,” Freddy shushed him as he instantly went to wrap the young man in a hug. “Now, now. Don’t you go crying. You’ll get me going to, haha.”

Mike chuckled, blinking away the few stray tears as he relaxed in Freddy’s arms. He was about to pull away when he felt a tug at his pants. He raised a brow and backed up to see a little girl looking up at him worriedly.

“Are you okay?” she asked, tilting her head, strands of her long brown hair falling in her face. She began to sputter when a few fell in her open mouth.

Freddy and Mike looked at her before chuckling. Mike knelt down to be eye level with her and helping her fix her hair by brushing the strands back. “Oh, I’m fine sweetie, just having a good conversation with my best friend Freddy here.”

The girl seemed happy with that and beamed in joy at him. “Good! I was worried you were hurt or upset!”

“Oh, no need to worry young one,” Freddy said with a grin, bending down and ruffling her hair. “But thank you so much for your concern. That means a lot to Freddy here,” he finished with a wink.

The little girl giggled at that before looking back up at the guard. “I’m gonna go now, okay? Try not to be sad or hurt anymore, okay?”

Mike nodded. “Got it. I won’t.”

She raised a brow before lifting a hand to him. “You promise?”

The guard couldn’t stop the warm laugh at the gesture and went to shake her hand. “Promise.” He grabbed her small hand, ready to shake. He froze for a second, hesitating when he felt just how cold her hands were. His smile instantly melted into a frown as he went to cup both her hands into his own. “Sweetie, you should go find your mommy and daddy and tell them how cold your hands are. They are like ice.”

“O-oh, that’s okay.” She didn’t look too bothered by the advice the guard gave her and pulled away with a smile. “I’m gonna go now. But you remember our promise, okay?”

“Y-yeah, okay…” Mike hesitated before returning the grin and stood up. “Goodbye now.”

“Bye, Mikey!” She giggled before skipping off and disappearing in the crowd of children and parents, not realizing she stunned the guard in silence.

“W-wait…how did she know my name?” Mike questioned confused, just as a chill ran up his spine.”

“Dude,” Bonnie finally spoke up, stepping up to him and flickering a paw on Mike’s nametag. “She read it, duh.”

“O-oh, oh yeah.” Mike looked down at his nametag, an embarrassed blush rushing to his face. “Of course.”

“You okay, Mikey?” Freddy asked concerned.

Mike nodded his head, placing a hand to his temple in the process. “Yeah, just tired still. Foxy and the Toys convinced me to return to them to sleep and rest here for the remainder of the day They are worried I could collapse on my way home still.”

Freddy chuckled, shaking his own head. “That sounds like them.”

The guard gave a half-hearted puff of laughter as a response before letting his mind drift back to the girl. He clenched the hand that he used to grab her own and shivered as he remembered how cold it was. Unhealthily cold. “I hope that little girl is okay…”

“She seemed fine to me,” Bonnie said crossing his arms.

“Yeah, but she was freezing…I don’t know, I guess I just worry too easily.”

“There’s nothing wrong with that, Mikey.” Freddy patted him on the shoulder. “You just have a big and caring heart.” He felt relieved when Mike gave him a smile at that. He patted him again before looking over at the blocked path that would lead to Pirate’s Cove. “You should go back to the others.”

Mike seemed to hesitate, looking around at the crowd.

Freddy understood. “Tell you what. I’ll keep an eye out for the little girl and make sure she is okay when I spot her. I’m sure she didn’t get too far. She’s bound to be out there with her parents somewhere.”

“Okay…” Mike still didn’t seem to pleased but gave a nod to show he agreed.

“Good, now rest.” Freddy gave a gentle shove.

“Oh!” Chica shouted happily. “I can make you my super special triple pepperoni pizza! You’re favorite!”

“Chica, you aren’t allowed in the kitchen anymore, remember?” Bonnie reminded.

“Oh yeah…”

Mike laughed shaking his head. “That’s okay guys, I-.” He couldn’t finish as Chica shot out and into the crowd, gently pushing her way through the excited children who ran up to her.

Freddy groaned, slapping a paw to his face and Bonnie laughed loudly as he watched his sister take off.

“I don’t care!” Chica called as he made her way closer to the kitchen. “I’m gonna do this for Mikey!”

“Oh my god…” Freddy muttered, deciding to go after the chicken. “Chica, you get back here!”

Bonnie laughed harder when more children ran to him, successfully stopping the bear long enough as Chica disappeared down the hall.

Mike turned to the rabbit, nervous expression taking over despite his smile. “I guess I’m getting pizza.”

“Oh definitely,” Bonnie shook with mirth as he plopped down on the stage. “Most of the human workers here know how often the night guard gets replaced so rumors start. Plus, I think a few heard the recordings you listen to before your shift so to put in plainly, almost everyone who works here is terrified of us. They’ll defiantly do what Chica says.”

“That’s kind of sad,” Mike commented with a frown.

“Eh, they leave us alone in the end and that’s fine by me.”

“Still, seeing how scared everyone is of you and how Mr. Fazbear treats you guys, I just…” Mike froze as he remembered the events of last night. He frantically looked at the bunny clearly nervous. “Mr. Fazbear! Is he okay? Did he ever come back?”

“Oh, yeah, him…” Bonnie shook the back of his head before gesturing to the side door that was the owner’s office. “Yeah, he came crawling in here about an hour or so after you fell asleep. He was shaking like a leaf and only spared us a few glances before running to his office and locking the door. He hasn’t come out since. We didn’t even get a chance to explain to him you were okay and still here.”

“Maybe I should check on him?”

“Ah, screw that old geezer.” Bonnie didn’t look too empathetic to the guy as he leaned back, resting against his arms that propped him up. “He’s breathing and his heart is beating. That’s what matters, right? Not like he risked his life last night like you.”

“Still…”

“Don’t worry about him, Mikey. Trust me, not the first time we’ve seen that old guy look like death stared him in the face. He’ll be fine. You should worry more about yourself.” He gestured towards Pirate’s Cove. “No more worrying about how Freddy feels or about some random little girl or your horrible boss. Focus on a good guy I think you’ll like, named Mike Schmidt. Okay?”

The guard laughed lightly pushing the rabbit. “Okay, okay. I get it. I do.” He started to step away. “I’ll see you all when the place closes.” He raised a thumbs up at the rabbit who returned the gesture lazily.

“Got it, Mikey. You get better. Got a long night ahead of you.”

Mike didn’t have time to respond as Freddy returned with Chica who seemed pleased with herself.

“Your pizza’s in the oven as we speak!”

Mike shook his head with a smirk. “Thank you, Chica.”

“I’ll take it to you when it’s finished!” the bird commented, stepping away from the frowning Freddy.

“Chica, you seriously have to stop scaring the chefs. They don’t need the extra stress and…”

Mike was forced to tune out Freddy as Bonnie pushed him away. “He’s gonna go on forever. I’m sparing you now. Run.”

“I heard that…” Freddy hissed, glaring at his brother.

“Run Mikey!” Bonnie called dramatically, before bolting onto the stage.

“Bonnie, are you serious?!”

The guard just laughed at their antics before waving at Chica who was watching him and went back to Foxy and the others. Right when he got to the hall that would lead to Foxy’s room, he took one final glance amongst the children, hoping to find the little girl he talked to earlier but didn’t catch sight of her. He shrugged, taking up Bonnie’s advice and decided to let it go and focus on his own health. He stepped away and to the cove.

What Mike didn’t know was the little girl was in fact in the room, watching him closely. She stared intently at where once stood before glancing around. No one was paying her any mind, so she took advantage of that and carefully made her way to the blocked hall just in time to see Mike enter Pirate’s Cove.

“You’ll be okay, Mikey,” she whispered. “I just know it.”

_“You can’t protect him…”_ a voice hissed in the back of her ear.

She ignored the voice and stepped forward down the hall. She took a quick peek inside the cove and saw Mike settling down on the ground next to the other animatronics. She slipped past the entrance and further down the ignored side of the building.

_“We’ll get him. He won’t be so lucky tonight.”_

She continued to ignore the voice before she came across the basement door that was shut tight. She let out a breath before lifting her hand up and watching it faze through the wood, as if her hand wasn’t there at all. She frowned deeply before stepping again, the rest of her body following suit and she faded right through the door. She slowly made her way down the stairs and through the basement.

_“Why do you keep resisting? You’ll just fail, you understand? You’ll fail and we will win!”_

She closed her eyes when she came across the corner of the basement. Two large and faded cardboard cutouts of the animatronics stood there and other useless and forgotten junk Mr. Fazbear had thrown down here many years ago, and she slipped behind it all with ease. That’s when her gaze settled on a slumped figure resting against the wall. A golden bear, hidden by the forgotten items.

_“I know you can hear me. You can’t ignore me forever. That man will die! Do you hear? He’ll die and when another comes to replace him, he’ll die too!”_

The little girl rested her fingers against the golden bear before sitting down and cuddling against the frozen suit. Once she was settled against the bear, resting her head on the lap, she finally spoke. “Being fueled by hate…that doesn’t seem right to me.” The voice didn’t respond so she continued. “We can’t just kill night guard after night guard until you find him. That makes you no better than the Purple Guy.”

Wisps of shadows instantly started to rise from the ground and behind them, there was a pair of glowing red eyes, but the girl didn’t seem to mind as she closed her own eyes in response.

“I know you don’t want to hear it, but it’s true. Mikey is innocent, but you don’t want to believe that. Because there could be a slim chance, he is our killer.” She paused, letting her thoughts process before speaking again. “I’m tired of seeing all this death. That’s why I decided to contact Mike. Then maybe…maybe I can save him.”

_“You can’t!”_

“I’ll try.” The tiny light bulb hanging in the center of the basement started to grow brighter. “I may fail, and I may mess up like last night. But I will put a stop to this. This needs to end. Mike helped me see that. So, I’m going to help him. Do all I can.”

_“You’ll fail! You hear me! You will fail!”_

“Mike just wants everyone to be happy. I believe he can do that.”

_“He’ll just turn out like every other grown up! They are all the same! There is no point in helping him!”_

The light grew even brighter and the shadowy wisps began to shrink.

“And when we finally put a stop to this, you’ll see yourself. You’ll see that maybe…just maybe we can be happy again.”

The voice was quiet, and the light just grew brighter and brighter. Finally, he spoke one last time. _“You’re hopeless, Sammy. You’ll understand that someday.”_

“You’re the hopeless one, Nick. But I hope I can bring back your hope someday. Goodbye for now.”

Whether Nick heard her last statement or choice to ignore it was unclear. But the little girl didn’t seem to care as the light grew brighter and finally the shadows vanished from sight. Sammy let out a breath and the light dimmed down, returning to a dull glow that barely lit the basement.

Silence followed as Sammy rubbed her face against the dirty faux fur of the yellow bear’s suit.

It almost seemed like the entire room would remain this quiet until a deep voice echoed out from the empty suit. _“Do you think he’ll come through?”_

“I hope he does.” Sammy looked up at the bear’s face, his hollow eyes seemed to look down at her. She smiled, shifting in her spot to hug the bear. “I’ll keep trying until he does.” With that said, her body began to grow transparent until fully vanishing from sight. The bear never moved an inch and finally the room was settled in an eerie silence.

 

* * *

 

Mike let out a content sigh as he took another bite of his pizza Chica had successfully delivered to him. “Man, I haven’t had freshly made pizza in forever! I almost forgot how good the food here is.”

“Yar, I’m glad you are enjoying yourself, Mike,” Foxy responded, watching the guard happily.

“Mmhmm!” Mike hummed as he chewed his slice. He carefully tucked the box the rest of the pizza was to the side as he leaned against the bottom of Foxy’s stage.

“So, are you feeling any better now that you have some food in your stomach?” Fred asked.

“Yeah. I think this is giving me my energy back.”

“Well nothing’s better than pizza from here,” Chicky commented with a wink.

“Have to agree with you there, Chicky,” Mike said. “Man, when I moved away from this town as a kid, I was so sad because I was losing my friends and this amazing food.”

“Why do I have the feeling ye missed our pizza more than us,” Foxy said with a teasing smirk.

“Of course not, you silly fox!” Mike laughed, shoving the fox.

“Yar, har, har!” Foxy just laughed, barely moving an inch at the push. “I know, lad. I just be joking.”

The bit of dialogue didn’t go past the ever-gossipy Bon-Bon, as the rabbit raised a curious brow. “So, you moved away as a child? That’s why you lost touch with the original four?”

Mike nodded as an answer for a second as he chewed his latest bite. “Yeah, I only got to spend a few years with them all. But then my grandmother got sick and we had to move towns to be closer to a hospital just in case she needed to go. Where we lived before there weren’t any nearby hospitals and we couldn’t afford to get a ride all the time.”

“Wait, you lived with your grandmother?” Bon-Bon questioned next.

“Uh-huh. My mom passed away when I was eight. I lived with my dad for a few years but he…” Mike trailed off, face growing dark as he took an uncomfortable nibble on his pizza. Foxy’s expression began to match the guard and the fox wrapped a comforting arm around the guard’s shoulders.

“D-did I bring up a bad topic?” Bon-Bon asked nervously, ears drooping down.

“No! No, no.” Mike waved a hand as he used the other to place his plate down. “No, you didn’t say anything bad. My dad’s just a touchy subject. He…he wasn’t the best, let’s just say.”

“What do you mean?” It was Chicky who asked this.

“I…well…” Mike struggled with words as he curled his legs up to his chest. “You see…ever since my mom died, Dad kind of began to shut me out. I kept trying to get him to talk to me, to notice me, but I guess I messed up because he would get angry at me.”

“Mikey, no…” Foxy instantly spoke up at hearing what the guard said. “Don’t you put any blame on ye-self. That man…that man is all to blame.”

Mike gave a sad smile, tears starting to form in the back of his eyes. “I know. I do. It’s just…hard, you know? I keep feeling like if maybe I said or did something different then Dad would never have gotten so angry at me. Then maybe he would never have started to…” His words cut off, more tears beginning to flow out.

Foxy instantly hugged the young man closely, tucking Mike’s head under his jaw.

The Toys seemed to understand where Mike was going, sympathetic eyes locking onto the human.

“Oh Mikey…” Chicky said after a moment.

Mike sniffled before shrugging in Foxy’s embrace. “Hey, it’s all okay now. My dad was an asshole. He was the coward who decided to take his anger out on a little boy. I get that now.” He wiped at his eyes as a dry laugh broke out. “You know, it’s funny. Despite everything he did to me as I grew up after mom died, despite every beating or every yell, I have to be grateful for one thing.”

“Grateful? What are you getting at?” Bon-Bon asked confused.

“You see, it is kind of because of my dad I met Freddy, Bonnie, Chica, and Foxy here. I was…oh gosh, I think around eleven or twelve. Dad got really pissed off at me one day and I freaked out. So, I ran. I ran until I came here and slipped in the back doors to the kitchen.”

Both Mike and Foxy smiled as they remembered that day, letting the memory flood their minds as Mike explained to the Toys what happened next.

 

* * *

 

_“Crap!” Mike hissed in pain, running a hand along his bruising cheek as he hid behind a cart that held pizzas and other meals. The cooks of the kitchen still haven’t noticed him just yet, but Mike knew it would be a matter of time before they did and kicked him out. He couldn’t be caught though. Not with his dad most likely somewhere outside looking for him._

_He curled up in as tight of a ball as possible as one chef came dangerously close to him. He stayed as quiet and still as possible to avoid being noticed and sighed in relief when the man walked away._

_“Okay,” he whispered quietly to himself. “If I’m fast, maybe I can make it to the door and hide somewhere out there…” Mike took one final look around, making sure no one noticed him before starting to walk ahead. He made it right to the door just as it flung open and smacked him in the face. He cried out in pain, clutching his hurt nose as a flash of yellow brushed his vision._

_“Oh, my goodness! I’m so sorry!” a female voice called, but with an odd echo like effect to it. Mike curiously looked up, rubbing his nose still only to see a tall yellow…duck? Chicken? Mike wasn’t too sure at first._

_“Chica! For the last time, we are not giving you pizza!” A chef screamed at the robot, throwing a dirty rag in her direction._

_“Just one slice!” she begged, ignoring the child on the ground and stepping forward._

_“No! Now get out of here!” the chef yelled again._

_Mike realized the man didn’t notice him, focusing all his attention on the bird and slipped out the door quickly._

_Chica noticed him and called out in a panic. “He-hey! Wait up!” She also left the kitchen, much to the relief of the cooks, and reached out to the boy, grabbing him by the back of his shirt. “Hey, little boy?”_

_“Let go of me!” Mike screamed, glaring at her and throwing a fist in her direction. “Don’t touch me!”_

_Chica instantly let go, raising her hands up to show she meant no harm. “Sorry, sorry. I just want to talk! I swear!”_

_Mike eyed her suspiciously before trying to take a peek in through her mouth. “Is someone in there?” he asked._

_Chica laughed. “No silly. Just little ol’ me. Chica the chicken!”_

_Oh, so she’s a chicken…Mike thought before shaking his head. “Look, I don’t have time for these weird tricks. I need to hide.”_

_“Oh! Are we going to play hide and seek? I love that game!”_

_“What? No! I just can’t let anyone here find me!”_

_“Why not?”_

_“Because they may kick me out?” Mike explained, looking around the children’s restaurant. He’s never been inside the place before. He vaguely remembers his mom taking him to a restaurant like this once upon a time when he was really young, but it was such a far-off memory that Mike doubted if it was real or not. Not the point as he shook the thought away and tried to find a good place to stay in hopes his dad wouldn’t find him._

_“Are you okay, little boy? You look worried,” Chica spoke up, stepping closer. She narrowed her eyes to examine Mike, much to his discomfort when suddenly she gasped. “You got a bloody nose! Did that happen when I hit you with the door! And oh no! Is that a bruise?! I thought it was just dirt! I didn’t hurt you, did I!?”_

_Mike raised a hand to his face and indeed he pulled back to find fresh blood. He didn’t seem to care as he wiped his nose along his sleeve, a trail of blood staying behind on the shirt._

_Chica shook her hand and grabbed the boy’s arm. “Ah, ah. That’s no good. You come with me. I’ll help you out.”_

_“What!?” Mike tugged at his arm helplessly as he was dragged out to the main showroom and over to a stage where he could see two other animatronic animals like her, a brown bear and a purple rabbit._

_“I accidentally hurt you, so I’m gonna fix you up! And you shouldn’t use your sleeve to wipe your nose. Just gonna stain it!”_

_Mike worriedly looked around, praying he wouldn’t see his dad walking around the room just as he was forced to walk up a small set of stairs onto the stage._

_“Chica…” the bear hissed, giving the bird a look. “Why are you dragging a boy up here?”_

_“He’s hurt! I…I may have hit him with a door. Oopsie.”_

_“How’d ya manage that?” the rabbit asked, stepping over and examining the boy’s face. Mike stepped back nervously and the bunny chuckled. “Relax kid. Name’s Bonnie, and I’m just seeing how bad the damage is.” He hissed as he saw the bruise and bloody nose. “Dang Chica, you really did a number on the poor kid.”_

_“I didn’t mean to!” She looked over at the brown animatronic. “Freddy you believe me right!?”_

_“He sure does look beat up…” the bear commented, deciding to ignore Chica and also looking over the child. He moved to pull back the curtain before gesturing everyone to follow. “Come on, I know there is a first-aid kit back here.”_

_“Why?” Bonnie asked confused._

_Freddy shrugged, stepping behind the curtain. “Never know when a child may get hurt. I like to be prepared.”_

_“Pfft, you are such a nerd…” Bonnie commented with a smirk. He looked down at Mike and gestured with a turn of his head to where Freddy stood. “Come on, kiddo. We’ll fix you up till you’re good as new.”_

_“I’m not following you weirdos back there!” Mike said glaring at them and backing up._

_Freddy couldn’t help but smile. “Smart lad. But you do need to take care of that bloody nose. And…” Freddy trailed off as he examined Mike again. He frowned when he noticed the faint signs of bruising on his arm that peaked from under his sleeve. Pieces started to come together as he sighed. “Those didn’t come from when Chica crashed into you, did it?”_

_Mike flinched back at the question, moving his right hand to clutch at his left arm. “…The bloody nose is…”_

_Freddy didn’t like the honesty, realizing the child was in more trouble then they realized. “What’s your name?”_

_“…Mike…” the child decided to answer. “Mike Schmidt, sir.”_

_Freddy gave a light chuckle. “Oh, no need to call me that. Just call me Freddy, Mike.”_

_Mike eyed him before looking at the other two. “…There are no workers inside these suits, is there?”_

_Freddy shook his head. “Nothing but metal, bolts, and wires.”_

_That struck some interest in the child as he slowly and cautiously approached Freddy, standing on his tip-toes and taking a look past Freddy’s teeth and inside the suit. To his shock, he really only saw a glimpse at the head of the endoskeleton and nothing more. “Whoa, what kind of robots are you guys?”_

_“The best kind!” Bonnie said grinning. “Now, why don’t we finally take care of that nose of yours? It’s dripping everywhere now.”_

_Mike flinched, looking down to see droplets of blood on his shirt and the stage floor. “So-sorry…”_

_“No need for apology, Mike!” Chica said. “Let us help you. Please?”_

_Freddy raised a hand between the chicken and the boy. “Wait…” he said to Chica before looking at the boy. “Mike. You don’t have to accept our offer. We can easily call for a worker here to help you. I shouldn’t have tried to force you backstage when you were not comfortable. I just see a child in need, and I want to help, you see? But this is your choice.”_

_Mike was in awe at the sincerity in Freddy’s voice. He looked up at the bear, and to his shock, he actually saw the very real emotion that emanated from those soft blue eyes. After a moment, he looked around, noticing the children, some his age, other a few years younger, all were successfully distracting the adults in the room. He still hasn’t been caught yet. And there still were no signs of his dad, but that could change in an instant. He looked at the stage, and his mind instantly screamed safety. It was hidden from others, and these animatronics would be the only ones who knew he was here. He weighed his options one more time before nodding slowly. “O-okay. I trust you guys.”_

_“Okay. Come along then. I’ll look for the first aid kit.” Freddy explained. He held the curtain for the others before letting it close behind them. He let out a huff before looking around. There wasn’t much room behind the stage, but just enough for him to walk away a few feet. He caught sight of the kit before turning back to Bonnie and Chica, shooting them a look. “Behave.”_

_Bonnie rolled his eyes. “You act like we never do!” Bonnie grinned down at Mike. “Man, what a stick in the mud, am I right?”_

_“I can hear you, you know?” Freddy commented from his spot where he grabbed the kit._

_“Wasn’t really trying to keep quiet,” Bonnie said with a laugh._

_Freddy rolled his eyes as he returned with the kit and pulled out some supplies out. He gestured for Mike to approach and quickly pulled some tissues out to wipe the blood away from the boy’s face. “Does it hurt a lot?” he asked worriedly._

_“Not really. Just stings,” Mike answered as he was instructed to keep his head back. He watched as Freddy pulled out instant icepack, lightly crushing it to get the reaction going. He wrapped it in a small towel and handed it to Mike. The child grabbed it, feeling the cold sensation starting to kick in._

_“Keep that to your face. It’ll help with that swelling I see.” The only answer he got to that was a nod from the child. When Mike lifted the icepack to his face, Freddy took a chance and reached for the boy’s sleeve. Mike flinched back warily before Freddy lifted his hands up to show he meant no harm. “I just want to check your arms. That’s all.”_

_There was a brief moment of hesitance before Mike agreed, rolling up his sleeves himself._

_The three animatronics gasped in shock when they saw cuts and bruises litter his arms. There was a harsh red ring around each wrist, indicating how someone had roughly grabbed at each one._

_Freddy looked at the child seriously. “Mike, who did that to you?”_

_“…” Mike opened his mouth like he was going to answer, but nothing came out. Instead he closed his mouth and just looked down, hiding his gaze with the icepack._

_“Mike, this is serious. I need to know so we can protect you and make sure you are safe.” Freddy reached for Mike’s hand that held the icepack, but the boy just backed away._

_“No…I can’t say.”_

_“Mike,” Chica spoke up. “We want to help you.”_

_The boy shook his head, glaring down at the ground. “No, you don’t. You guys are just dumb robots. Just programmed to say all this stupid stuff.”_

_“Hey, come on now, kid,” Bonnie said. “Even_ if _we were programmed to say stuff like this, doesn’t make what we are doing any less genuine. We want to help you because you are clearly not safe right now.”_

_Tears were brimming the corner of his eyes and Mike almost broke out in a sob. “What can you guys do anyways? Not like this is gonna change anything.”_

_“You don’t know that,” Chica said leaning down to be eye level with him. “You told me earlier you were trying to hide. Were you hiding from the one who hurt you?”_

_Mike went quiet again. Chica looked up desperately at Freddy for help._

_It was the bear’s turn to lean down to be eye level with the child, resting a paw on Mike’s shoulder to get his attention. “Mike, please listen and understand. I made a vow long ago to always protect children when they are in need. I don’t care how far I need to go. I’ll walk out of his restaurant and to the proper authorities if I must. That’s how dedicated I am to make sure each and every child who steps into my restaurant is safe and happy, and right now I can tell you are the exact opposite of both.”_

_Mike stared at the bear in shock, not expecting how much care was seeping from the bear’s voice._

_“Someone is hurting you,” Freddy continued. “And that is not okay. I understand this must be something that is hard for you to talk about, but you need to do this Mike. For your own good. Please, Mike, talk to us so we can protect you.”_

_The child felt a tear slide down his face. His arm dropped down, the icepack in his grip falling with it and plopping onto the ground, ignored by the others. He gulped, a bundle of nerves building up in his stomach and cracked his mouth open. “It’s…It’s my…” He tried to confess; he really did. But he just couldn’t get the word out of his mouth and he just shook his head, more tears slipping away. “I can’t.”_

_Freddy looked worried, trying to get the child to look at him again. “Mike, please. I just-.” Freddy was suddenly interrupted as heavy footsteps stomped up on the stage._

_“Oi, Cap’n!” a new voice called, startling the four backstage._

_Mike flinched before looking behind Freddy to see a red fox animatronic stepping behind the curtain. To Mike’s amazement, he was dressed head to toe like a pirate, complete with a hook, eyepatch, and a few golden colored fangs._

_The fox gave a frown at the animatronics, not noticing Mike at first as he placed his non-hook hand to his hip. “Cap’n, what be going on? We be needing to move on to me pirate’s tale for the kiddies soon.”_

_“Whoa…” Mike spoke in amazement, almost forgetting about what was being talked about before the fox showed up. Mike had always had a love for pirates, gaining it from all the fantasy stories he would read with his mother when he was younger._

_The fox blinked in shock, looking over Freddy’s shoulder to see the bruised and bloody child. He gasped in shock, strolling over and resting next to the bear. “Well hello, lad. What had happened to ye?”_

_“I…” Mike suddenly remembered his rush of nerves from before and went quiet again. He shook his head and shrugged his shoulders._

_“Mike, please don’t go quiet again,” Freddy tried._

_“Mike, huh?” the fox spoke, hearing the name. He looked between the child and the bear before understanding the situation and leaning closer to the singer. “Hey, Cap’n. Can I talk to the lad?”_

_“Foxy, not now. I need to-.”_

_“Yeah, yeah, let me talk…” Foxy commented, lightly shoving Freddy back. The bear lost balance and tumbled down, top hat rolling away._

_Mike couldn’t help the snicker that broke out as he saw this and Foxy grinned in success. He then fully settled himself on the stage ground, crossing his legs in the process. “So, you be Mike, huh? Can I call ya Mikey?”_

_The boy gasped at the nickname, not hearing someone call him that since his mother. “Uh…yeah?”_

_“Well, Mikey, you sure seemed to have seen better days. Why, you must have been fighting off some tough pirates, huh lad?”_

_“I…I-.”_

_“No need to explain lad. I’ve been there before, me-self. Why you wouldn’t believe the kind of adventures this ol’ fox has been though. Yar har har.”_

_Mike grinned, despite the anxiety that still settled in his stomach._

_Foxy seemed happy with that, eyes looking down at the bruises on his arms and back up at the swelled-up bruise on his cheek. Now Foxy would be the first to admit he was not the smartest around, but he could see the red flags a mile away. He also instantly figured out how Freddy and the others must have dealt with this, but this situation clearly needed a pirate’s touch, Foxy concluded._

_When Mike started to pull back when he noticed Foxy fully saw the bruises, the pirate quickly thought of a solution._

_“Oh, no need to be hiding such battle scars,” he started._

_“Foxy…” Freddy hissed out, ears pinning back. He frowned deeply when his younger brother just waved him off._

_“Oh no need to speak up for the lad, Cap’n,” Foxy continued with his act, keeping Mike in his gaze to study his reaction. “But I don’t blame thee. Why I myself am having trouble not awing at the clear hero we have before us here.”_

_“Hero?” Mike questioned confused._

_Foxy smirked. “Why of course! Don’t think I don’t recognize those kinds of scars, lad. It be clear you must have fought against the deadly Black Beard, himself! Why only the bravest of heroes could have done such a feet and live to tell the tale.”_

_Mike felt a sad smirk form on his face before lowering his head, the smirk melting away. “Not really…”_

_“Oh?” Foxy asked incredulously. “Then do tell lad? If not be Black Beard who else. Hmmm…” he placed his paw to his jaw as he thought. “A sea monster?” he gave an over the top gasp. “Don’t tell me ya took down the mighty Kraken?!”_

_Mike remained quiet._

_“No?” Foxy leaned closer and narrowed his eyes for affect. He let out one final startled gasp and raised a paw to his mouth. “No. It couldn’t be…” He looked around as if feared of being spied on just as Mike raised a curious gaze at the fox. Foxy then leaned closer to whisper, “Davey Jones?”_

_“I-.”_

_“I knew it! Wow lad, you really must be the bravest child this ol’ fox has ever seen. No wonder you are being so quiet about it. What a humble lad too. Why, I could never match up to such a strong pirate such as ye-self.”_

_Mike stared at Foxy shocked and confused before another smirk slowly formed on his face and he shook his head. “You’re weird, Foxy right?”_

_“Aye lad. Foxy the Pirate Foxy, at ye service.” Foxy lifted a paw to rest on Mike’s shoulder, flipping up his eyepatch with his hook so he could properly wink at him. “You know lad, normally I would never force a fellow pirate to disclose all their tales, but I simply must know. Please, tell me everything so maybe then I too can learn to be as brave and strong as you.”_

_Mike thought over Foxy’s words for a moment, eyes lowering down to his hands that he fidgeted with before sighing. “It wasn’t really a sea monster or another pirate…” he hesitantly started._

_Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica watched in awe as Foxy got Mike to finally speak up about what was wrong. Foxy noticed and gave them a smug grin before returning his attention back at the child. “Oh? Then who be it who gave ye those injuries?”_

_“…My dad…”_

_Foxy frowned deeply at the news before casting a glance at Freddy who gave a nod. Without drawing too much attention, the bear slowly made his way away from the stage. His destination was Mr. Fazbear’s office. The old man may not like talking to the animatronics, but now that Freddy knew enough detail about Mike’s situation, the man would have to listen to Freddy as he tried to get the proper help._

_Foxy, meanwhile, kept trying to get Mike to talk. “Your father did this all to ya? Who have you gone to for help, lad?”_

_Mike just shook his head._

_“Lad, you look to be very smart. Ya must know how serious this be. Your father should have never raised a hand to ye in the first place. No matter the situation.”_

_“Why does it matter? It’s my fault anyways,” Mike frowned deeply, tears forming in his eyes. “I always make him mad.”_

_“No, no that is never an excuse,” Foxy concluded._

_“Foxy’s right,” Bonnie said, lowering down to Mike’s level. “And you shouldn’t have to put up with that any longer.”_

_“Well what can you guys do! Nothing.”_

_“Not nothing,” Bonnie said. “Look, obviously we can’t just go strolling over to a police station or something, but we can get adults that are here to listen. You need to be helped Mike, and we will do whatever it is to help you now.”_

_“…I…but I…but my dad-.” Mike’s breath was starting to quicken as his tears turned to sobs. “No, it won’t work. Nothing ever works out for me!”_

_“Hey, hey, hey,” Foxy cooed, scooping the child into a hug. “Now, now, lad. Everything will be fine now. I swear to ya. Let us help ya lad, please.”_

_Mike shook his head. “It really won’t matter soon.”_

_That caught the animatronics’ attention as they shared a concerned look before Foxy tried to get more answers._

_“What do ya mean lad?”_

_“Dad’s bound to find me soon. I ditched him outside not far from here. He’ll find me soon and drag me back home…”_

_“That’s why you were hiding in the kitchen,” Chica concluded._

_Foxy gave a deep frown, standing up and raising his hook. “No. I will not let a child get hurt by their parent any longer. Mikey, I swear to you right now, you shall no longer be under the threat of ye’s father.”_

_The child looked up at the fox in awe and shock at hearing the declaration._

_Foxy smirked at him at seeing the expression. “Do not worry lad. Starting now, things shall be much different for yo-.” Foxy was interrupted as the curtain flew out and smacked him in the face._

_Mike jumped as Freddy returned with a much younger Mr. Fazbear._

_“So where is this child, Freddy…” Mr. Fazbear growled in annoyance._

_“Right here, sir,” Freddy answered placing a protective hand on Mike’s shoulder. He leaned down when Mike backed up to Freddy in fear. “It’s okay. He can seem kind of cold at first, but Mr. Fazbear just wants to help. I swear.”_

_Mr. Fazbear knelt down and looked at the child, seeing all the injuries before sighing. “You must be Mike. Tell me boy. Is it true your father is hurting you?”_

_Mike slowly nodded, body growing stiff._

_Mr. Fazbear offered a smile. “It’s okay. I know this must be difficult for you to talk about.”_

_The child gave another silent indication as he agreed with the man._

_“Okay, I want you to come with me, okay? There is a lot we need to discuss. Oka-.”_

_The old man was silenced by a loud and irritated voice broke out from the other side of the curtain. Mike instantly recognized the voice and tensed up in fear, instinctively reaching out blindly for Freddy’s hand since the animatronic was the closest. The four animatronics and Mr. Fazbear meanwhile turned their attention in the direction of the voice, serious expression crossing their faces._

_“Mike! Where the hell are you!”_

_Mr. Fazbear pulled back the curtain and there standing in the center of the showroom was a tall man with dark brown hair and eyes that scanned the room furiously._

_“I know you are here, brat! Show yourself!”_

_Mike shook in fear as he let go of Freddy’s hand and hid behind Foxy, clutching onto the pirate’s torso. Mr. Fazbear noticed the child’s reaction before gesturing for Freddy to a phone hung up on the wall nearby. “Call the police,” he instructed as he approached the man._

_Mike watched in fear as the owner went up to his father, speaking to him in a deep and commanding tone how he needed to leave._

_“Not without my boy, I’m not! I know he’s here! He ran off outside. I’ve been looking everywhere for him.”_

_“Your son is named Mike correct? We have already contacted the authorities and are going to help the child.”_

_“What!?”_

_“It’s clear you are not fit to raise a young boy.” Mr. Fazbear growled, getting in the other man’s face. “What kind of coward are you to hurt your own son!? Why it’s sickening!”_

_Mike’s father did not look happy with the accusation. “What the hell did you say to me! I never laid a finger on that kid!”_

_“Oh really? So, all those bruises just magically appeared on his body?” Mr. Fazbear screamed. Normally he would hold back his temper, especially since it was the middle of the day and he had customers, but the man didn’t seem to care as he scowled at the father. “You are the worse kind of person. I hold no tolerance to a man like you.”_

_“Where the hell is my kid!?” Mike’s father demanded, ignoring the words thrown his way. “You can’t keep him from me!”_

_“Mike is safe right now. I will not, in good consciousness, take you to him until the police have arrived.” Mr. Fazbear paused and smirked when he caught a glimpse of the black and white cars parking outside. “And it seems they have just arrived.”_

_The next few hours went by in a blur for Mike as he watched his enraged father get instantly handcuffed by a police officer who came in and Mr. Fazbear speaking to his customers to apologize for this incident. Mike was guided away from the animatronics, the boy raising an arm up in a meek attempt to return to them, before he was taken to a kind police officer who began to question him and promised how everything would be okay._

* * *

 

Mike sighed as he remembered that day, running a hand over his tired eyes. “After that, I was taken away from the restaurant, same as my dad. There was a lot of investigation and I was forced to live with my grandmother on my mom’s side. That eventually led to me staying with her permanently and dad was arrested for child abuse.”

“Wow,” Bon-Bon said in amazement. “Mike, I’m so sorry you went through that.”

The guard shrugged. “Honestly I still don’t know how to talk about my dad much. It’s…it’s always been a hard subject for me. But, like I said, if he never got angry with me that one day, I probably would have never run away and found my way here.” He looked over at Foxy and smiled. “And I never would have met the best pirate fox of all time.”

Foxy grinned back, ruffling Mike’s hair. “Aye, and I never would have met the best first mate I have ever had.”

“You two really seem like best friends,” Fred commented, smiling fondly at the clear bond the guard and fox had.

“Oh, we be much more. We be family,” Foxy explained with a smile. “Mikey always had the same heart as us animatronics. The day he came tumbling in our kitchen and getting smacked in the face by Chica, is the day he became one of us.”

Mike laughed, pushing off Foxy’s paw from his hair. “I couldn’t be happier by that.” He looked down at his pizza slice and took a finishing bite. After he swallowed it and set aside the plate, he looked back at the pirate. “Foxy, you and the others did so much for me that day. I don’t think I can ever thank you enough.”

“Lad, there be no need for this.”

“Well I beg to differ,” Mike explained. He suddenly felt sleepy as he unconsciously began to shift into a more comfortable position. Foxy gently guiding him to lay back down. He yawned again as he went back to speak. “You guys helped me, and now it’s my turn.”

“I know lad,” Foxy said softly. He watched as Mike instantly rested his head on Foxy’s lap again like earlier that morning. “Ye should rest now. You clearly still be exhausted.”

Mike’s mind still raced, but his eyes began to flutter. “I’m…I’m gonna make sure you guys are safe now. I’ll…I’ll figure this all out. I promise.”

“Shhh,” Foxy shushed, petting Mike’s head again. “Sleep lad.” He looked down at the old tablecloth they had used as a blanket earlier and frowned. He looked up over at his stage at his curtain and found that to much more suitable. He silently gestured to it and the Toys understood, standing and quietly taking a curtain off.

Mike’s mind began to grow fuzzy as his sleep finally started to return. “Foxy…”

The animatronic went from watching the Toys fumble with the curtain to the almost asleep human. “Yeah lad?”

Mike seemed to struggle to speak as his sleepiness almost won out. “I…I love you.”

Foxy couldn’t help the gentle smile as watched the guard finally succumb to his tiredness and fell asleep. He brushed back Mike’s hair. “And I love ya too, lad.”

The Toys finally managed to remove one side of Foxy’s curtain and carefully draped it over Mike’s body.

“He really is a sweet human,” Bon-Bon said with a grin. “I can see why you and the others care so much about him.”

“Aye,” Foxy agreed, not taking his eyes off the sleeping guard. “He is our family. It don’t matter if we just be robots. Mikey will always be a member of the Fazbear family and nothing shall change that.”

Fred chuckled softly. “We really are such an odd bunch, huh?”

Foxy responded with a laugh. “Oh aye, but I couldn’t ask for a better family.”

There was a comfortable silence that followed that as the animatronics all settled down, letting Mike sleep. They knew their troubles weren’t over and in the back of each of their minds, they knew come nightfall the atmosphere would be greatly different, but for now they would enjoy the peace that flowed around the room. Right now, all the animatronics wanted to worry about was spending a quiet and happy moment with their loved ones.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we have it! Another chapter down! I will say the next chapter should be out soonish. I don't know an exact date, but I already have the chapter finished on my computer, I just don't want to bombard you guys with chapter after chapter, so I'm going to wait a week probably. Shouldn't be anything too long over one week, but I can't promise because I am a bit forgetful at times. Anyways, I'll see you guys next time! See ya!


	6. Rabbit Rampage

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bonnie isn't having the best of time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, new chapter up! I hope you all enjoy this. Also I will say a 'new' face will be making an appearance towards the end. I say new, but if you read the original version of my fnaf trilogy you will recognize him instantly when he pops up. Though he doesn't have a big role just yet. 
> 
> Anyways, I am rambling enough. Please enjoy the story and please leave a comment if you can. It really makes me happy to read them and it helps me know if this story is being well received.

Freddy heard a door open as the last of the customers were leaving and a pale looking Mr. Fazbear stepped out into the showroom, running a handkerchief to his sweaty forehead. The bear hesitated before speaking up. “Are you alright, sir?”

The old man flinched at the voice before glaring over at the bear. “This is all getting out of hand.”

“Sir, there is only so much me and my siblings can do,” Freddy explained. “Each day they get angrier and angrier. We can only fight them off for so long.”

“Last night…last night was a close call. Just imagine if the rest of my employees were there, or worse…” Mr. Fazbear trailed off before speaking again. “What if you all were to lose it during the day when there are children here.”

“That won’t happen.” The reply was instant. Freddy spoke that with such confidence and sincerity it almost convinced the old man…almost.

“I can’t keep taking that chance…” Mr. Fazbear growled at the bear. “You all better get a hold of yourself or else…”

“Or else what, if I may ask sir?” Freddy questioned, keeping his nerves at bay.

The owner seemed to hesitate for a second before grabbing his keys from his pocket. “Or else I will have to make some serious changes to this place…starting with you monsters.” He walked to a janitor, grabbing at his arm. “Take the rest of the day off. We can worry about cleanup later.”

Freddy watched tensely as Mr. Fazbear took a final look around the building, waiting until he was the last human in the showroom. “By the way, how is Mike. I didn’t get a chance to ask how he was earlier.”

“He’s fine,” was the bear’s only response. They never did tell the man how Mike has been hiding out in Pirate’s Cove all day.

“Good, good. Glad to hear it.” The old man let out a tired sigh before turning around. “I’m leaving early. When Mike returns, tell him to keep a close eye out. After last night, I’m sure things are just going to get much worse.”

“I’ll be sure to do that, sir…”

Mr. Fazbear eyed Freddy. He looked as if he had one last thing to say, opening his mouth, but he just sighed again and went to the door, locking it on his way out.

“Man,” Bonnie spoke up, walking over to Freddy. “What an ass.”

“He has his reasons, Bonnie. We can’t fault him too much.”

“Are you serious, Freddy?” Bonnie questioned him. “That guy literally got a fi0rsthand experience with what Mike deals with on a daily basis and he just walks away as if nothing happened last night! He doesn’t care about Mike, us, the situation we are all in, nothing!”

“He cares,” Freddy jumped in. “In his own way. We may not be able to see it, but Mr. Fazbear wouldn’t put this much effort in our restaurant if he didn’t care.” Bonnie didn’t seem convinced as he just scoffs and steps away. Freddy watched silently before letting out a tired groan, running his paws over his face. He took a glance at the clock, seeing it was just a bit after nine.

“Do you think Mike is feeling better?” Chica spoke up, catching Freddy’s attention.

“He’s been resting a lot today, so I would hope so.” The bear started to make is way to the cove, gesturing for his bandmates to follow. “Come on, let’s go check on the others.”

The three quickly entered Pirate’s Cove, instantly being greeted with the Toys who looked back with smiles.

“Well look who it is,” Bon-Bon was the first to respond. “How was your day?”

“Heya, Bon-Bon,” Freddy said. “We had a great day, thank you for asking. Lots of pizza served and lots of happy children.”

“Where’s Foxy and Mike?” Bonnie questioned, looking around.

“On the stage…” Fred explained. He made sure to hide his tear in his suit from the three so they wouldn’t grow concern after what happened last night. He also didn’t want Foxy to overhear and feel guilty for attacking him. When he cast a sneaking glance down at his chest, making sure his arm didn’t look too awkward over the obvious tear, he gestures with his other hand over to the stage. “When Mike woke up again the two have been playing pirate and haven’t stopped.”

Freddy seemed happy with the answer turning their attention to where the younger bear pointed. The older animatronics stepped closer to the stage only to jump in shock at the loud laughter of Foxy.

“Yar har har! First mate, Mikey, what do you see!?” Foxy was standing at a prop that resembled a chunk of a pirate ship with the ship’s wheel. He turned the fake wheel haphazardly while adjusting a pirate hat on top of his head.

“Arg, captain Foxy, there definitely be treasure on that island!” Mike jumped out, holding a fake telescope to his eye, a matching pirate hat replaced his uniform night guard cap that he usually adorned. He looked around the area when Freddy and the others caught his attention. “Ah, what’s this?! Captain Foxy! We have intruders trying to take our treasure!”

Foxy saw his older siblings and smirked. He stepped over to the edge of the stage, closer to the other three and lifted a plastic sword with his good hand. “Arg, what be you stowaways doing in me ship!? Looking for me gold, are ya? Well ya never get it from this cunning fox! Yar har har.”

Freddy laughed at the two, shaking his head. “Oh, Captain Foxy, we just wish to step aboard your ship for a peaceful talk. That is all,” Freddy spoke, going along with the game.

“Hmmm…I don’t know.” Foxy eyed Freddy suspiciously before turning his head to the guard. “What do you think, first matey? Should we trust these scallywags?”

“They don’t seem to be armed with any weapons, Captain. I say we let them aboard.”

Freddy laughed once more, stepping onto the stage. “Okay, okay you two. That’s enough for now.”

“Aw, come on Freddy…” Mike whined like a child, dropping his arm that held the telescope. “Foxy and I were just getting to the good part.”

“Aye, don’t ruin the fun now…” Foxy also joined in, frowning.

Bonnie snickered, slinging an arm over Freddy’s shoulders. “Oh, come on you guys. You should know by now that ruining fun is Freddy’s specialty.”

The singer glared at his brother before shoving Bonnie away. “Mr. Fazbear just left, and all the other employees are gone. It’s just us now.” Freddy explained. “Why don’t we all head back to the showroom now?”

“Mr. Fazbear left already?” Mike questioned, removing his pirate hat and replacing his night guard cap. “It’s only a little after closing time. I didn’t even get a chance to talk to him. I wanted to check on him after last night.”

Bonnie scoffed. “Trust me, that ass is just fine…”

“Bonnie…” Freddy hissed, shooting the rabbit a glare.

“What? I’m only speaking the truth.” Bonnie rolled his eyes when he noticed his older brother’s expression before walking to the exit for the cove. “Come on, I rather be in the showroom where it’s less crowded…”

Mike cast a worried glance at Bonnie as he stepped away. “Is he okay?”

“Oh, he’s fine,” Freddy explained with a wave of his hand. “He just get’s a little irritated easily. Nothing he won’t be over with by the end of the day.”

“If you say so…” Mike didn’t look too convinced but decided to drop it for now. He just chalked it up to Bonnie being stressed out and decided to focus on the others that remained in the room. “So, I guess we are heading out now?”

“Yes, please!” Bon-Bon said. “I need to walk around. Being in one room for hours gets so irritating!”

“For once I have to agree with Bon-Bon,” Fred said, adjusting his hat and bowtie as he stood up from his spot on the ground. “It will be nice to stretch out our legs and be in a roomier area.”

“Wow, you two aren’t fighting,” Freddy joked, “What a rarity.”

“Arg, ya should have come in here a few hours earlier. I swear they were about to rip each other’s heads off.”

“He’s over exaggerating, I swear,” Fred tried to defend when Freddy shot him a look.

“No, no, I’m pretty sure we did try to kill each other then,” Bon-Bon admitted, not caring about the disappointing look the older bear was giving them.

“Toy Bonnie…” Fred hissed, glaring darkly at the blue bunny.

Bon-Bon just stuck his tongue out at the bear before skipping out of the room happily.

Freddy shook his head as he watched Fred let out an irritated huff before storming out to follow after the rabbit. Soon Chicky followed as well, helping Mangle out of the room. Chica had went up to Mike and Foxy, chatting excitedly to the two about everything that happened during the day while they were in the cove, and the three slowly made their way out the room next. That left the bear by himself. He took a quick look around the cove before deciding to leave as well.

He didn’t notice a hidden figure in the room. The Puppet, who stepped out from their hiding spot just as Freddy left. The Puppet glared at the entrance where everyone stepped through before taking their own pace to the center of the room. Puppet clenched his fist before scowling. “Tonight…tonight will be the night. I’ll make sure of it.” His voice was like steel as he spoke that before his entire form vanished from sight, leaving the room empty of all animatronics and human.

In the showroom, Mike settled at a table where Bonnie, Foxy, and Chica all sat at. He settled next to the purple rabbit, offering him a smile. Bonnie seemed to hesitate before returning the gesture as well. The guard frowned in concern when the rabbit let out a groan and flopped his head down to rest in his folded arms.

“Hey, Bonnie? You okay?” Mike asked. “I thought you guys had a good day?”

“Oh, it was all fine and dandy.” Bonnie lifted his head just enough to look over at the guard. “I guess it’s just a bunch of little things, you know? Plus, I am not looking forward to tonight…”

Mike frowned, completely understanding where Bonnie was coming from. “Well hey, things will be alright!” He decided to try, giving his friend a bright grin. “I’ve been pretty awesome at getting through the nights, right? I can handle this one no problem.”

“…” Bonnie opened his mouth, wanting to speak but he just let out a defeated like sigh before burying his face in his arms again.

Freddy came up behind his brother, patting him on the back. “Relax,” he spoke to him, but the bunny did not move. “Mike’s got a point. He will handle tonight just fine.”

“Yeah…” Bonnie’s voice was extremely muffled, but Mike and Freddy were close enough to understand. “Until the next night when it gets even harder, and then the next night and the next night…It just won’t end!”

“Hey, don’t talk like that,” Mike said, also going to pat Bonnie like Freddy did. “I’m starting to get more clues about everything that’s going on, right? I bet I can find a solution faster than you realize.”

Bonnie didn’t respond, still not lifting his face from his arms.

Mike and Freddy exchange worried looks before Mike cleared his throat and looked at the bear. “Speaking of which, you still need to tell me what happened next. We _did_ kind of get interrupted last time.”

Freddy gritted his teeth as he remembered the previous night before nodding. “Yeah, you have a point. And we do have time to spare before midnight.” Freddy glance at the clock, seeing there was still about twenty minutes before ten.

Bonnie finally poked his head up, peeking at his older brother. “You _are_ picking up where you left off last night, right?”

“Uh, yeah of course?” Freddy more questioned then stated.

Bonnie groaned, finally standing up. “I was afraid of that…Welp, I’m out!”

“What?” Freddy and Mike asked together.

Chica stood up, grabbing the rabbit by the arm. “Bonnie, what are you doing?”

“Uh, heading to the stage…” he gestured to the spot he usually stood. “Thinking about playing some guitar or something.”

“Is everything alright?” Fred asked stepping over.

“Jeez!” Bonnie snapped, glaring at everyone. “I just want to play my guitar. I don’t feel like being apart of story time tonight, that’s all.” He harshly pulled his arm away from Chica’s grasp, holding back his guilt when his sister gasps in surprise and pouting sadly. “Will you guys get off my back already?”

“Bonnie, come on now,” Freddy spoke up. “We just had a talk about _me_ being upset. Don’t you start-.”

“Oh, don’t even go there, Freddy…” Bonnie glared at his brother. “You and I both know exactly what you are going to tell Mike tonight, and I don’t want to hear it. Okay? You of all people should understand that.” He turned his back to the older bear, walking to the stage. “I’m gonna play guitar. The rest of you can enjoy story time. I’ll talk to you all when it’s over.”

Everyone looked between the purple rabbit and the older bear. They watched Bonnie grab his red guitar before starting to strum along to a random song and making sure his back was still to them. After a moment of staring, the remaining animatronics and Mike looked to Freddy who was pinching the gap between his eyes. Freddy let out a deep sigh to calm his nerves before looking at the others.

“Sorry everyone. I really should have expected this…” He cast a glance at Bonnie before back to the others. “I am about to step into sensitive territory for Bonnie with what happens next in the story.”

Mike frowned confused. “What exactly happened next that would get Bonnie this upset?”

Freddy paused, once again looking at the purple animatronic to keep an eye on how he was handling the conversation going on. He knew, despite the fact the rabbit was strumming along on his guitar, his ears were trained to still listen. Besides, they all were not that far from the stage. Even if they all whispered, the bunny could probably hear them still. “Well…it all starts the next morning after Fredbear, Spring, and I dealt with Nick’s ghost. Mr. Fazbear came to us with plans for how to move on after the incident. He bought a new building to start a new restaurant and explained to us three we would be getting a new animatronic to join us.”

Mike felt his eyes widen in realization and turned to Bonnie who slouched down but kept his back to them all still. His strumming did grow a little slower too.

 

* * *

 

 

_“Okay you three…” Mr. Fazbear marched into the diner, holding piles of papers in his arms. Behind him a man not too much younger than him followed, wheeling in a wooden box that was sealed shut. The three animatronics turned their curious gaze over at the box, shocked to see it was just as tall as them. Mr. Fazbear frowned at them when they didn’t pay attention to him before snapping his fingers to get them to look his way. When they finally did, he gestured them to come closer. “I got some news that will change everything.”_

_Freddy leaned over to Fredbear to whisper, “What do you think is in that box?”_

_“I’m not sure. Maybe new supplies for the diner.”_

_The second man who followed after Mr. Fazbear overheard them and chuckled fondly. He leaned closer to the crate and patted it. “Nope. Better. This will be just one step into having a better future for our company.”_

_“It better…” Mr. Fazbear muttered. “I’m putting a lot at stake here.” He cleared his throat before grabbing one of the papers from his hands and handing it to Freddy. “Congratulation bear, we are moving, and you are going to be the main attraction now.”_

_“What!?” Freddy and Spring asked in shock, the yellow rabbit marching over to his younger brother and grabbing one side of the paper._

_It was a flyer that advertised a new restaurant. “Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza?” Freddy questioned as he read the name that was sprawled over the top. “B-but, Fredbear was always the main face for our restaurant. Not me.”_

_The older human let out a hostile-like grunt as he glared at the yellow bear. “That thing…not anymore I say. He’s had his run and it’s time he gets put aside.”_

_Fredbear showed no emotion as he closed his eyes, bowing his head as if accepting the fate._

_Spring didn’t do the same, tearing the flyer from Freddy’s paw and crumpling it up in his grip. “Yeah, no. You are not replacing Fredbear.”_

_“I am,” Mr. Fazbear growled, turning his glare at Spring. “And you have no right to demand things out of me, Spring Bonnie. You are meant to entertain children, nothing else!”_

_“U-uh, Mr. Fazbear…” the second human spoke up soflty._

_“What!?” the owner barked only to step back and clear his throat. “U-uh, sorry Scott. What is it?”_

_Scott smiled nervously before gesturing at Fredbear. “Uh, sir, you_ did _agree we would still allow Fredbear to remain active in the new building. Even continue to entertain children. Remember?”_

_“Hmph, I remember.” Mr. Fazbear glared back at the yellow bear. “I guess you_ are _in some luck. You won’t be on the stage anymore, but you won’t be deactivated.”_

_“Thank you, Mr. Fazbear,” Fredbear bowed his head respectfully. “I really do apprecia-.”_

_“For now…” the old man interrupted, threateningly locking eyes with the bear. “You are just barely getting by now. But, if I see you are no longer useful, you don’t get any second chance. You hear me?”_

_Fredbear did his best to keep his emotionless mask up but couldn’t hide the flinch of nervousness “Loud and clear, sir.”_

_“Good.” The owner let out a tired groan before walking away. “I got some work I need to take care of. Tell them the rest for me, will you Scott?”_

_“You got it, sir.” Scott watched him leave before turning around to face the unopened box. He pulled a crowbar that rested on the side before getting ready to pry the box open._

_“Hey…wait a second?” Spring spoke up next. He went to look for Mr. Fazbear, but the man was already gone. He rolled his eyes in annoyance before looking at Scott. “Fredbear and I are always a team. So what? I’m supposed to just team up with Freddy now? No offense little brother, but that ain’t happening.”_

_Scott felt his body tense as he slowly started to pull open the wooden crate. “Uh, well…well actually you also won’t be one of the main acts anymore…”_

_“…”_

_Freddy looked confused and Fredbear let out a deep sigh, mentally preparing himself._

_“I’m sorry what?” Spring asked, his voice a deadly calm._

_Scott chuckled nervously. “We-well you see, Spring…” he flinched when he noticed the rabbit stepping closer. “Whe-when I was ordered by Mr. Fazbear to make Freddy, he also wanted me to do one extra thing. Well, Freddy was finished before I completed the second request and…”_

_When Scott trailed off, still messing with the box, Spring clenched his paws into fists and glared down at the human who built him and his brothers. “Aaaaand what?”_

_The engineer sighed before finally pulling free the side of the box, letting an avalanche of Styrofoam peanuts to cascade out. Spring and the two bears looked inside to see a new animatronic standing inside. The eyes were closed shut and it didn’t move an inch, indicating Scott hadn’t activated it yet._

_“Guys, I want you to meet your new little brother, Bonnie!”_

_The animatronic was a rabbit, around the same height as Freddy, not including the ears. He was also a pleasant shade of purple with a red bowtie around his neck. To his side was a red guitar similarly shaped to Spring’s green version._

_Fredbear lowered his head, placing a paw to his temple. Freddy felt his mouth drop in shock, eyes bulging out. And Spring, well Spring went from disbelief to pure rage._

_“_ I’m _getting replaced too!” It was not a question. It was a hate-fueled statement as he glared at the resting animatronic to Scott who backed away nervously._

_“Spring, Spring, listen to me. I had no choice in the matter. Mr. Fazbear wanted a new bear and rabbit animatronic. He said if Fredbear was going to go, so would you.” He jumped back when Spring looked even angrier. “But! But!” he tried quickly, raising his hands up. “But, like I said, Mr. Fazbear has agreed to keep you_ both _active. All that will be different is that you two won’t be on the stage anymore. That’s all.”_

_“Until he decides we aren’t useful anymore, right!?” Spring growled, stopping as he approached the box. He glared at the animatronic inside with all the hate he could muster._

_“Spring, please understand. There is only so much I can do. I tried my best, but…but Mr. Fazbear is adamant about this.”_

_“Why does he hate us so much?” Spring asked out of the blue, still glaring at the purple rabbit. “As far as I can remember that bastard has treated Fredbear and I like crap. Why!?”_

_Scott paled at the question before clearing his throat and shrugging. “I…I don’t know, Spring. I’m just hired to build you guys and repair you if you guys get busted. Mr. Fazbear makes the decisions for the restaurant.”_

_“Well if he was just going to hate us from the start, he should have never had you build us in the first place!” Spring screamed, finally tearing his glare away from the new rabbit and at the engineer._

_“Spring Bonnie!” Fredbear growled out, his voice piercing through the room. “That is enough! Bonnie has been made. He and Freddy are going to be the main act. Getting angry at Scott and Mr. Fazbear won’t change anything! It will only make things worse for the two of us.”_

_“How can you not be just as upset about this as me!?” Spring turned to the golden bear. “You especially should be upset. Mr. Fazbear has treated you the worse since we were booted up! I mean, damn, the old bastard acts like you tried to kill him before! And now he is just throwing us away!”_

_“Oh my god, Spring! This isn’t the point!” Fredbear shouted. “Damn it! This is exactly why I never told you about Bonnie, because I knew you would react badly! But I never thought you would react this childishly!”_

_“…” Spring went quiet, glare melting away into an expression of shock and betrayal. “You knew…?”_

_Fredbear felt his own anger vanish before guiltily looking at the rabbit. He paused before sighing. “Y-yes, I knew…I overheard Mr. Fazbear and Scott talking a week before Freddy was finished.”_

_“You’ve known for that long!?” Spring’s anger returned, frustrated tears forming in the corner of his eyes._

_“Spring…I…y-yes, I have, but that isn’t the point!”_

_“What the hell is that supposed to mean!?”_

_Fredbear slapped a paw to his head. “What I’m trying to get at is there is just nothing we can do! Okay!? Mr. Fazbear won’t change his mind and you know perfectly well that we can’t change his mind!” He took a calming breath. “Okay, try and understand and listen Spring. You have all right to be upset. A lot is going to change now, and it can be frustrating. We can’t change any of that and getting this angry will only make this entire process more of a struggle.”_

_Spring didn’t let up glare, not showing even the slightest moment of easing up._

_The golden bear sighed. “Spring, this doesn’t have to be all bad. Think about it just for a second.” He stepped over to Freddy, placing a paw to the younger bear’s shoulder. “Because of Mr. Fazbear’s plans we have our amazing little brother here. You were upset at first, but now you two have grown much closer. Now the three of us will have a new brother to love and care for. Isn’t that what matters now?”_

_“Hell no!” Spring’s reply was instant. He ground his teeth together to form a twisted sneer, his fists curling tighter. “You need to open your damn eyes Fredbear! Life isn’t always about being a happy family and singing freaking Kumbaya! You and I are getting_ replaced! _Any day now you and I will be shut down for good! All it will take is the order from Mr. Faz-fuck and we are gone, Fredbear! Gone! That thing…!” Spring pointed at Bonnie. “That is just going to take my spot just like Freddy will take yours! Playing family isn’t going to solve anything and it will not make me suddenly be okay with losing_ everything! _”_

_Scott stepped over to Spring, trying to calm down his animatronic. “Spring, please relax. We can come up with a better solution. Things don’t have to go down that path.”_

_“You don’t know that!” the yellow rabbit hissed. “You said it yourself, Scott. You don’t make the decisions around here. None of us do! It’s all up to that bastard who has had it out for us since the goddamn beginning! And I’m sick of it.”_

_Fredbear took a cautious step closer. “Spring, you are being ridiculous! Look, let’s just take a moment to collect ourselves. Besides, we are about to meet Bonnie for the first time. He shouldn’t have to wake up to all of us fighting.”_

_“Like hell am I going to meet that damn replacement!” Spring screamed. In a fit of anger, he turned to the box that still held the animatronic and gave it a rough shove. Scott, Fredbear and Freddy all yelled out, arms reaching for Bonnie as the box and the rabbit tilted forward._

_It crashed with a loud thud, Bonnie’s body having tumbled halfway out of the box, his midsection getting pinned by the heavy wood and earning a loud_ crunch _and_ snap _to ring out through the room._

_Spring actually stepped back, shocked by his actions. He didn’t mean to push the crate and, in turn, the new rabbit like that, it was just a reflex. His stunned reaction didn’t last long however, as he scoffed at the three who went to pull the purple rabbit out and ran to his stage, hiding behind the curtain._

_“Shit, shit…” Scott muttered, pulling back part of the purple rabbit suit to check the endoskeleton below. “Damn it, it’s dented bad. Bonnie won’t be able to stand up properly. I’ll need to get this fixed and fast.”_

_“How long will that take?”_

_“Not too long hopefully. But I’ll have to run some test to make sure nothing else got damaged. There is a lot of wiring that will connect to all of Bonnie’s limbs. If one little thing is busted, standing up straight won’t be his only issue.”_

_Scott lifted his hand to the back of Bonnie’s head, slipping under the mask to a switch at the back of the endoskeleton. He hit it and waited a moment. Soon, Bonnie’s eyes fluttered open only to slam back shut as he cried out in a dull pain._

_“Ow…” the rabbit muttered, taking comfort in whatever was holding his head up. He cracked open his eyes again to see a brown bear holding his upper body up. “Uh…hey?”_

_“Um, hi,” Freddy said nervously._

_“Bonnie?”_

_The rabbit looked over at the human that stood next to him. “Oh, more people. Hey? Um…I can’t move my arm to wave.”_

_“Shit.” Scott went to examine the arm closest to him, pealing back part of the suit. There didn’t seem to be much damage there, so all the main issues had to be where the crate landed on the rabbit. “Okay, don’t freak out. I can fix you right up.”_

_“Cool…cool…so uh…” Bonnie looked to his other side and saw a yellow bear helping the brown one keep him steady. “One of you Freddy?”_

_“That’s me,” Freddy introduced himself. “That’s Fredbear.”_

_“Fredbear?” the bunny looked at him before slowly nodding his head. “Oh yeah…I remember now. The weirdo who is currently poking around my insides told me about you.”_

_Scott chuckled nervously. “Heh, yeah, sorry about that. I’m just trying to assess on all your damages.”_

_Bonnie cocked his head to the side confused. “Yeah, about that…why am I already broken?”_

_The three exchanged looks before Scott smiled at the rabbit. “Oh, there was an accident. Nothing to worry about.”_

_“Okay then…” Bonnie looked around the rest of the room before over at Freddy. “Hey?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Wasn’t there supposed to be someone named Spring too?”_

_Freddy flinched at the mention of his older brother, looking up to Fredbear for help.”_

_“He’s…resting right now…” Fredbear lied, casting a glance over at the stage where he knew the yellow rabbit hid away. “You can meet him later.”_

_“Oh…okay…” Bonnie sounded disappointed, lowering his ears._

_“Unfortunately, it’ll have to be much later…” Scott said. “I’ll have to fully remove your suit to get a better look at your endoskeleton. Damn I may need to call in my assistant for some extra help.”_

_“Assistant?” Fredbear questioned. “Since when do you have an assistant?”_

_Scott paled before breaking out in a fit of nervous laughter. “Did…did I say that out loud? Uh, yeah…Mr. Fazbear hired him for me. He helped me build Bonnie and Freddy actually.”_

_Fredbear raised a curious brow before dropping the matter. “Well, what should we do now?”_

_The engineer let out a relieved sigh before looking at Bonnie. “Hey, I’m sorry bud. I know you just woke up for the first time, but I’m gonna have to turn you off for now to fix you up. You’ll be up and walking around in no time, I promise.”_

_“O-okay…” Bonnie nodded his head. “Then, nice meeting you guys? See ya later, I guess.”_

_“Trust me, this will be over before you know it.” Scott said with a grin, reaching behind Bonnie’s head to hit the switch again. And just like that the literal light of Bonnie’s eyes faded away and his body slumped down._

_Freddy flinched at the sight before helping Fredbear carry the rabbit over to the side of the room as was Scott’s request. Once the purple animatronic was properly situated, Scott let out a sigh, pinching the bridge of his nose._

_“Okay, all this could have gone better…” He groaned. “I’m sorry guys. I didn’t mean to cause such a mess. None of you deserve this…I…” He looked at the two bears desperately before shaking his head. “I gotta go make a call. You guys prepare for the move. Mr. Fazbear wants everything gone from here by this weekend. You’ll probably be shut off and packed away within a day or so.”_

_“And Bonnie?” Freddy asked nervously._

_“Bonnie will be fine. If you don’t see him again before you leave the diner, you’ll definitely wake up at the new place along side him. Okay?”_

_Freddy slowly nodded, casting a glance at his new brother._

_“Great. Now…” Scott turned away. “Gotta go make a call.” As he walked away, he began muttering softly to himself. “Oh man, Daniel is not going to be happy about this…”_

_Once the engineer was gone, Freddy looked over at Fredbear. “Now what?”_

_The older bear looked between Freddy, Bonnie and then finally the stage. “I’m…I’m going to talk to him. You don’t have to come. You know how he can get.”_

_“Are you sure that’s a good idea right now?”_

_“What other choice do we have? Don’t worry, I’m just going to try and clear the air between us. I may not be his favorite person right now, but he can’t stay mad at me forever.”_

_“Hmm…” Freddy hummed nervously._

_“Spring will come along eventually. He warmed up to you and he’ll warm up to Bonnie too. We just need to give him time.”_

_“But…but what if Mr. Fazbear-.”_

_“Mr. Fazbear won’t do anything. I promise you Freddy.” Fredbear winked and smiled to reassure his brother. “Trust me, Spring and I aren’t going anywhere anytime soon.”_

_“O-okay…I trust you.”_

_“Good. I’ll be back. Spring will come out of the backstage, even if I have to drag him out. You just relax for the rest of the day, okay?”_

_“…okay…”_

_Fredbear hugged the brown bear before turning away and heading for Spring. Once Freddy watched his brother step behind the curtain, he let out one final sigh for the night, looking down at Bonnie one last time. He approached the rabbit, feeling a smile finally rise to his face._

_The last few days have been crazy for the brown bear and especially after what he and the other three animatronics witnessed the previous night, Freddy wasn’t sure he could keep his spirits up. But looking down at this newest member to the family, the bear couldn’t help but feel much better. He was a big brother now. He promised he would always look out for his younger brother now. No matter what._

_“Can’t wait to talk to you properly Bonnie. I’m sure you and I will get along swell.”_

* * *

 

Freddy let out a deep breath as he finished explaining the events of that part of his story. It was only then he realized how quiet the room was. Bonnie had stopped playing his guitar.

“So Spring is the reason I was broken…”

“Bonnie…” Freddy tried.

“Don’t.” Bonnie dropped his guitar down with a loud thud, making the others flinched. All cast worried glances at the rabbit as he stepped down from the stage and made his way to the hallways. “Just don’t. I heard enough.”

“Where are you going.”

“I don’t know…” Bonnie never cast a glance at the others, starting to turn away. “Just leave me alone.”

The purple rabbit was gone, and everyone started to look at each other, trying to figure out the best course of action.

Bon-Bon was the first to speak after a moment of tense silence. “Is…is Bonnie going to be okay?”

“He will…” Freddy reassured. “I know he will. Bonnie has always been good at getting back on his feet. Something I’ve always been a bit jealous of.

“But…” Bon-Bon looked as if he wanted to get up and run after his counterpart. “I’ve never seen him so broken…figuratively.”

“None of you ever got to experience how Spring treated Bonnie,” Freddy started to explain. “Spring always ended up being a bit cruel to him. It got to the point that Bonnie couldn’t even get himself to walk in the same room as Spring when it was closing time. Fredbear and I always tried to help out, but Spring never let up and Bonnie kept getting sadder and sadder by it all.” Freddy looked over at the doorway where Bonnie walked away from. “All Bonnie ever wanted was for Spring to treat him like a brother, but before that could happen Spring was shut down for good. Now whenever Spring gets brought up, Bonnie gets upset…but!” Freddy turned back to the blue rabbit. “Like I said he always gets back on his feet. He just needs a moment to himself and he’ll be right as rain. I promise.”

Bon-Bon didn’t look fully convinced, but he nodded in understanding anyways. “Okay Freddy. I just worry about him.” He hesitated before speaking once more. “And you…”

“Me?”

Bon-Bon scoffed and rolled his eyes incredulously. “I mean, yeah. In less than a day both you and Bonnie had a moment of snapping emotionally because of these two older brothers of yours, who I barely know by the way. It’s weird seeing you two break down like this. You guys have always been the most levelheaded out of all of us. You are both our leaders. We look up to you. So, when you are both this upset, we worry.”

“Wait, all of you?” Freddy looked at Foxy, Chica, the Toys, and Mike. They all gave their own form of agreement to Bon-Bon’s words.

“He’s got a point, Freddy,” Fred said. “We aren’t faulting either of you for breaking down like you both have done. You when mentioning Fredbear and Bonnie when mentioning Spring, I mean. Going through all this emotional turmoil while also going through the fear that one of us could seriously hurt Mike one night, well…I’m surprised you two haven’t had a mental breakdown sooner. We just wish we knew how to properly help out. _I_ wish I knew how to properly help out. Hell, I’m supposed to be a leader myself and I can barely keep Mike safe without getting injured myself…If I mess up with myself, I doubt I could bring myself to help you or Bonnie or anyone else in this time of crisis.”

“What do you…” Freddy finally took notice of the large gash across Fred’s suit and gasped, running to his younger brother. “Oh, my goodness, Fred, are you okay?”

“Relax…I didn’t bring it up to worry you. It’s only my suit that got damaged. My endoskeleton is just fine. Untouched.”

“Still…what happened?”

“It be my fault, Cap’n…” Foxy admitted shamefully.

“No, it wasn’t…” Fred said. “You were possessed. You had no control…”

“Still…” Foxy said.

Freddy sighed. “Oh boy…everything is just a mess, huh?” He said with a dry laugh. “Emotional breakdowns, injuries, and Mike is still in grave danger each night…”

“It really isn’t much of an injury, like I said…” Fred spoke up. He noticed Bon-Bon slump down dejectedly. He wanted to reach out to reassure the bunny but didn’t know how. He scolded himself for inability before deciding to focus on the rip in his chest. “Just need a needle and thread.

“You should still be careful…” Freddy said worriedly. “Your endoskeleton is much more exposed and in a vital spot. If you get hit there just right your whole body could get paralyzed.”

“I know, I know…” Fred said with a wave of his hand. “I’m moving, see. Everything is fine.”

Freddy sighed, rubbing his eyes in exhaustion. He opened them and instantly sought out the clock. It was only a bit after ten now, closer to 10:30. Still had plenty of time before Mike had to get to work defending himself.

Speaking of Mike, Freddy looked at where the guard was sitting only to find an empty chair. “Huh?” He looked around and saw the guard walking over to the hallway. “Mikey?”

“I’m going to check on him…Bonnie shouldn’t be alone right now.” Mike looked over his shoulder at the others. “Don’t worry. I can handle this. I’ll be back soon with him.”

“Bu-.”

Freddy didn’t get a chance to even finish saying a word before Mike walked away. “I got this!” he called again before disappearing down the hall.

“Should we go after him too?” Chica asked worriedly.

Freddy thought about it for a moment before sighing. “No…if too many of us go after Bonnie, it’ll just upset him more. Besides, maybe Bonnie needs a moment with Mikey. He’s always had a knack at calming that bonehead down.”

 

 

Bonnie hid away in the broom closet, curled up on the ground. He let out a groan and plopped his head back only to knock over a mop that landed harshly on his head.

“Ow…” He complained, rubbing his head and casting a dirty look at the cleaning supply. He started to return to his curled-up position when he heard footsteps. He let out a huff before shoving his face in his folded arms. “Go away Freddy! We are _so_ not having this conversation now.”

“It’s me,” Mike called, knocking lightly on the door.

“Mikey?” Bonnie raised his head up and tilted it in confusion. “What do you want?”

“Just to talk?”

“How’d ya know I was in here?”

“You always hide in here during the night,” the guard explained. “I would see you in here sometimes slumped down on the ground and crying trying to stay in control.

If he could, Bonnie would blush. “I-I don’t know what you are talking about. I don’t cry.”

“Bon…” Mike’s voice took on a teasing tone before chuckling softly. “Can I open the door?”

“…sure…”

The rabbit watched as Mike came into view and the young man instantly lowered himself to the ground. Mike looked around the closet before smiling. “I can see why you like it in here. Kind of cozy looking when it’s just you.”

“One of the few places I get some peace of quiet. I love the others, but I am never alone with them. Foxy’s lucky. Least he has the cove. He can be alone whenever he wants.”

“I guess we all need some place to be ourselves, right?” Mike suggested. “I mean, Chica has the kitchen. I don’t see it from the cameras, I think it may be busted, but I hear her in there all the time at night. Foxy has Pirate’s Cove. You have this place and Freddy…uh, where does Freddy usually go?”

“Eh, that old fart always finds someplace to hide away. I think he goes to the bathrooms usually.”

Mike grinned. He opened his mouth to speak, but Bonnie beat him to it.

“What about you?”

“Hmm?”

“Where do you go?” Bonnie asked.

“Oh…uh…well I live alone now so anywhere in my apartment is my quiet space.”

“You live alone?” Bonnie looked worried as he adjusted in his spot. “I don’t think I could do that…”

“Yeah, it’s definitely quiet, but ever since Granny passed away, I’ve always been kind of on my own. I never really had any close friends…close _human_ friends,” Mike corrected when he saw Bonnie’s face frown. “I don’t have any other family that I know of, so yeah, just lonely Mike Schmidt.”

Bonnie grinned. “Not here, you’re not. You will never be alone when you step foot here.”

The guard laughed. “Yeah, I know. I’m so grateful I reunited with you guys. I don’t even care about the dangers at night. Hanging out with you all again…it means a lot to me.”

“Ah shucks,” Bonnie’s grin turned into a full-on smirk. “You’re such a sap, Mikey.”

“It’s the truth!” Mike defended with another laugh. “You guys are my family. Why do you think I want to learn everything so bad so I can put a stop to all this haunting?”

The rabbit lowered his head, smirk vanishing. “Ah, to be honest Mikey, even when you learn the truth about everything that’s happened in the past, I don’t know how you will stop them…Nick is relentless, trust me…”

“Well, I guess I’ll just have to keep trying till I get through to him. He’s a kid, right? How hard could it be?”

Bonnie didn’t seem convinced. “I wouldn’t underestimate him. I’ve seen it first-hand. He’s a kid alright, but he’s turned into a demon. It’ll take a lot to stop him.”

“Well obviously he has never come across the likes of me!”

Bonnie burst out in a loud laughter. “Okay, if I had any doubt you weren’t the same Mikey I knew in the past, I definitely know now.”

“What’s this? You doubt I was the real Mike?” the guard asked dramatically.

“Oh shut it you…”

The two shared a laugh, smiling at the other. When it died down there was a comfortable silence that followed.

It didn’t last long before Mike broke it. “So, you feeling better at all? Even just a tiny little bit?”

“Heh…kind of…” Bonnie sighed. “I’m sorry, kiddo…I didn’t mean to run off and pull a Freddy.”

“Pfft,” Mike held back the sudden chuckle that threatened to escape.

Bonnie smirked at the reaction before frowning. “I don’t know…just to hear how Spring reacted when he first found out about me…I’ve always looked up to the guy. I don’t know why I did. He was probably the biggest asshole I knew, not including Mr. Fazbear…but I did. Each day I would try to get on Spring’s good side, but it just never worked out, ya know?”

“I do…I was kind of the same with my dad. All I wanted after mom passed away was him to look at me like his son again. Obviously, that never happened.”

“Oh gosh, your dad…Okay, I lied, Spring is like the third shittiest guy I know. Your dad at the top, then Mr. Fazbear, then him.”

Mike chuckled at that.

“Ugh…” Bonnie threw his head back. “I should go back, shouldn’t I? I bet Freddy is all anxious waiting for me to get back.”

“I’m sure he is. But I think Bon-Bon may be the most worried. He looked like wanted to go after you the second you left.”

“Oh, Bon-Bon…” Bonnie sighed, but a fond smile came to his face. “Yeah, I’m not shocked to hear he’s worried too. He’s a good guy. He can act spoiled at times, gets in fights easily, but he’s got a good heart…so to speak.”

“Heh…yeah, I can see that. All the Toy animatronics seem nice like that too. They are definitely different than you guys, but I can see the good side to each of them. “

“Glad to hear that. They are family after all.” The rabbit let out a groan after that, standing up to his feet. “Welp, I think I sulked long enough. Why don’t we go. There’s still plenty of time to hear a bit more to Freddy’s story and I finally know what’s gonna happen next. Hell, I can chip in now!”

“Haha, sure. I’d like to hear you both try to tell a story together. Totally won’t end in disaster at all.”

“Hey, you doubt us?” Bonnie asked, just as dramatically as Mike did earlier.

Mike rolled his eyes and gave the rabbit a shove despite not moving him an inch. He started to walk away; Bonnie right next to him. “Oh, shut it weirdo.”

“You’re the weirdo.”

“No, you.”

“You.”

“You.”

 

* * *

 

 

“They’re back!” Chicky called as she saw Bonnie and Mike step into the showroom.

“Yep, the great Bonnie is back. Hold your applause,” the rabbit joked, stepping over to a table that held Bon-Bon, Fred, and Mangle.

“Bonnie!” Bon-Bon called out, hugging the older bunny close. “I was worried about you.”

“Aw, sweet little Bon-Bon.” The purple rabbit spoke in a teasing way, but the fond smile was hard to hide as he patted the smaller animatronic on the back.

“Glad you came back,” Freddy said with a smile. “We all were worried when you ran out.”

“Yeah, well, had to give you a run for your money at having the biggest crybaby moment.” Bonnie smirked, leaning back in his chair. “I gotta say, I think I came close, but you are just a reigning champ.”

“Yep, he’s all better now…” Freddy complained. “Don’t know why I ever worried.”                                            

“You know you love me.” Bonnie laughed loudly, watching Freddy take a seat at the edge of the stage. “Freddy! Freddy, admit you love me!”

“Never…” Freddy couldn’t stop the smile and gentle chuckle as he shook his head, grabbing his hat and playing with it in his paws. “You are impossible, you know that?”

“Impossibly hard not to love.”

“I hate you…”

“Lies!”

Freddy threw his hat at the rabbit who caught it happily.

“Hah! Jokes on you. I’m totally keeping this.” He placed it on his head, dropping his ears back. “Look at me, I’m Freddy now! Haha! Oh! Oh! Oh! OH! No, wait, Freddo! Hahaha! I can finally use that nickname again! Haha, I’m such a genius!”

“Ugh…” Freddy pinched the bridge of his nose, squeezing his eyes shut. “Remind me how I put up with you…”

“Love~”

“No.”

Everyone broke into a laugh at the two’s exchange. “You both are goofs,” Mike concluded as he caught his breath.

“Well, kind of have to be when living with this one…” Freddy approached Bonnie, snatching his top hat back. “Give me that.”

“Thief!”

“Stop it…” Freddy swiped at him playfully. He placed his hat back on his head before looking at the others. “Okay, now what?”

“Well…we do still have time before 12…” Mike started anxiously. “Maybe I can get a little more of the story before it hits?”

“Oh! Oh! Mike and I were talking and we both agree I should start telling parts of the story!” Bonnie announced. “I totally won’t make up lies about you Freddy.”

“Yeah, I instantly don’t trust you, so that’s a no.”

“Buzzkill…”

Freddy rolled his eyes. “But yeah, I suppose I can tell a little bit more.”

“Nice!” Mike got comfortable in a chair as he looked up at the older bear.

Freddy chuckled at Mike’s enthusiasm before looking over at the purple rabbit. “You going to be okay for the rest of this?”

“Yeah, I got it out of my system.” Bonnie waved him off. “Go, go. Tell your little story about our messed-up lives.”

“Okay, if you say so.” Freddy gave him a look. There was still definitely traces of the hurt Bonnie was feeling left. No matter how hard he puts up a mask, the bear could also see the cracks, but there was a genuine about of happiness back that reassured the bear. So, after feeling Bonnie really was okay for now, he paused as he thought over where he left off. “Okay, well after the incident with Spring in the diner, Scott had come to back us up and take us to the new restaurant. It was the place right before this one opened up.”

 

* * *

 

 

_Freddy opened his eyes and was greeted with a new sight. He stared off at a large arrange of tables and booths, possibly twice as much then what was at the diner, with red and white striped table clothes over them. The walls were covered in many different party decorations, from balloons, streamers, and posters. Posters, which when Freddy took a closer inspection, had him and Bonnie displayed on the front, no hint of the two oldest animatronics. The final thing Freddy took note of was the checkerboard-like floor that stretched across the building, letting the bear really realize just how big this place was._

_The building was at least twice the size of the diner, if not more. There were pathways that lead to undiscovered rooms that caught the bear’s curiosity, and when Freddy turned his head to the side, he could just barely make out a counter that was covered in small cardboard boxes left unopen for the time being._

_“Like it?”_

_Freddy turned to see Fredbear walk up to him. “This is our new home, I guess.”_

_“Fredbear…this is…this is amazing!”_

_“Haha, I figured you’d like it here. There is much more room for children to play and have fun. We are going to add in arcade games and Scott mentioned we may even get a mini carousel in one room. Over there…” Fredbear pointed at the counter with the boxes, “is going to be our prize corner. Kids can win tickets and trade them in for different prizes. They haven’t unpacked them yet, but Scott said Mr. Fazbear hired a company to make plushies that look like us.”_

_“Really?”_

_“Yep, come over and look for yourself.” Fredbear led his younger brother over to a box that was missing the tape from the top. He pulled open the top to reveal an arrange of stuffed bears and rabbits. He reached in and pulled out a brown bear that was adorned in the same black top hat and bowtie as Freddy. “Here, check it out.”_

_Freddy took the toy from the yellow bear’s grip, a smile crossing his features. “I can’t believe it.”_

_“Believe it little brother.”_

_Freddy let out light breathy laugh before replacing the teddy bear and closing the box back up. He looked around before his smile faded slightly. “Where’s Spring…and Bonnie?”_

_“Spring is pouting behind the stage and Bonnie is checking out the rest of the building.”_

_“Bonnie’s moving around? Scott managed to fix him?” the brown bear asked excitedly._

_Fredbear grinned fondly at his brother before nodding. “Yep. Come with me.” He pulled the bear away, letting Freddy take some time to look around as they walked._

_“Where’s Mr. Fazbear or Scott?”_

_“All the humans left before you woke up for lunch. Including Mr. Fazbear and Scott. I was the one who turned you back on, with Scott’s permission.” The two ended up in a side room that was still mostly empty, only filled with a large arrange of different sized boxes. Though the large purple bunny standing in the center was hard to miss. “There you are.”_

_Bonnie turned at the voice, beaming at the sight of the bears. “Here I am. Freddy! You finally decided to join us!” The rabbit skipped over and tackled the brown bear in a hug._

_“Whoa!” Freddy adjusted his footing to keep from falling over before returning the hug. “Nice to see you too, Bonnie.”_

_“Isn’t this place cool!” The rabbit hopped away, twirling around the room in his joy. “There is so much we can do here!  Oh, I can’t wait for this place to fully open! The four of us are going to be able to entertain so many people! I can’t wait! I can’t wait! I can’t wait!”_

_Fredbear laughed at Bonnie’s excitement. “Glad to see you have such enthusiasm Bonnie. A good quality to have.”_

_“Thanks Goldie Locks.”_

_“…and the nickname follows…” Fredbear complained. “You heard Spring call me that earlier, didn’t you?”_

_“Yeah, I liked the name. Say, where did Spring go? I never really got to talk to him yet?”_

_“He’s…he’s behind the stage right now…” Fredbear decided to be honest with him._

_“Oh…” Bonnie’s ears flopped down before they popped right back up. “Well, let’s go get the guy. We should all be together, right?”_

_The bears exchanged a panic look before going to stop the rabbit. “Actually…” Fredbear started. “Why don’t we help the humans by unpacking some stuff.”_

_“Cool, I call the prize corner!” Bonnie shouted, running out of the room._

_The bears grinned as the rabbit ran off before looking at each other again._

_“He’s certainly excitable,” Freddy commented._

_“It’s nice. Certainly a refreshing change for us. It’ll be nice to have Bonnie around.” He gestured for Freddy to follow. “Come on. Let’s make sure he’s not going to make a mess or something.”_

_“Right…”_

_The two found Bonnie already placing some of the stuffed animals on the shelf above. Placing Fredbear and Spring’s plushie version next to each other and Freddy and his own plushies on the opposite side, creating a nice symmetry. When he figured there were enough on the display, he set aside the box and went to a new one that held different smaller plastic toys that also looked dirt cheap. Bonnie didn’t seem to notice the poor quality of some of the toys and went to stuff them inside the glass display case attached inside the counter._

_“Great job, Bonnie,” Freddy commented, looking over the prize corner._

_“Guess I just have a good eye.” Bonnie smirked, stepping away from the corner to properly admire his work. “Oh! By the way, Freddy come look at this!” He ran off, literally jumping on the stage, creating a loud thump. He reached over to the side, and it was then Freddy noticed a bright red guitar that was held up in a stand. “Scott gave me this cool guitar when I woke up! I think it was a little damaged when I originally woke up back at the diner, but he fixed it up perfectly! It’s so sweet! Oh! You and I should practice some songs!”_

_“I…I don’t know…I always sang backup.”_

_“Oh, come on…it’ll be fun!” Bonnie started strumming along the guitar, flinched when he hit a sour note and going to tune the instrument. “Well…once I get this right.”_

_“I think that will be a good idea,” Fredbear spoke up. “Besides, you two will be doing this a lot starting in a few weeks. Why not give it a go?”_

_“Should we really?” Freddy looked over at the yellow bear in concern._

_“Sure, go ahead.” Fredbear lightly pushed his brother to the stage. “Show me what you two can do.”_

_“Great!” Bonnie finished adjusting his guitar. “You can be our first audience!”_

_Freddy still didn’t look too sure but with one final encouraging gesture from Fredbear, he sighed and reluctantly walked up on the stage and stood next to the younger rabbit. “Okay…I guess I can-.”_

_A curtain flew out and smacked Freddy in the face. Spring came strolling out, ignoring the two. “Yeah, I’m gonna put a big no to that.”_

_“Spring!” Bonnie called out excitedly. He gripped his guitar tightly and followed after the older animatronic. “You finally came out. Oh, that’s so great! You and I can finally talk. I’ve been looking forward to that.”_

_“Oh yeah, so that’s another thing not gonna happen.” Spring rolled his eyes, approaching Fredbear. He scoffed at the crestfallen expression that was building up on Bonnie’s face. “Yeah, look kid. I don’t feel to keen on talking to my replacement. So, if you had any brain power in that head of yours, I suggest you just leave me alone.”_

_“Spring!”_

_“What!?” The rabbit turned to Fredbear, raising his arms up as he did. He didn’t wait around for a response before storming away to the other side of the room._

_“…Replacement?” Bonnie questioned, looking down at himself, eyes locking to the paw that held onto his guitar._

_“Don’t let him get to you, Bonnie,” Fredbear said, walking to him. “Spring is like this with everyone. He never knows how to be polite; I swear.”_

_“…” Bonnie went quiet before slowly turning around to face the stage again. “You know…maybe we can hold off on playing a song for later…”_

_“Bonnie…”_

_“No, it’s fine, really.” Bonnie walked up to the stage, ignoring the worried glances of the bears. He replaced his guitar on its stand before letting out a loud huff. He offered the two a smile before hopping back off the stage. “I’m going to…I think I’m going to explore some more.”_

_The two watched him leave, Fredbear turning to Freddy as he vanished from sight. “Why don’t you follow after him. I got some things I need to say to Spring…” Fredbear shot the yellow rabbit a harsh glare._

_“O…okay…” Freddy agreed, running after Bonnie. He paused at the doorway, casting one final look at his older brothers. Fredbear offered him a reassuring smile and waved him off. Freddy sighed and turned around, going to look for Bonnie._

_“Spring!” Freddy could hear Fredbear growl out from where he was, continuing onward. He could scarcely hear Spring speak up next, but chose to ignore the inevitable fight and turned down the hall._

* * *

 

 

_A few hours went by and Freddy had taken the time to keep Bonnie company in one of the rooms away from Fredbear and Spring. The two talked about what they hoped for the future and what kind of performances they could do for the children._

_“I mean, singing will be awesome, but maybe we should throw in some other things to keep things fresh!” Bonnie spoke up._

_“Haha, like what?” Freddy watch Bonnie spin around the room lazily before the rabbit stopped altogether, looking around for inspiration._

_“I don’t know…like…OH! Juggling!”_

_“…Juggling?” Freddy asked incredulously. “Neither of us know how to juggle.”_

_“Says you.” Bonnie reached into the box he saw where he got the idea, pulled out three balls that were probably meant for decoration. He offered the bear a confident smirk. “Check this out.” He tossed the balls in the air at the same time and stumbled to catch one. He let out a panic cry and reached in the air to try and grab one of the falling balls only to have each one plop to the ground, bouncing and rolling away._

_Freddy laughed at the failure before offering a teasing grin. “Oh, very impressive. I really have to admit.” He finished with a slow clap that earned a dirty look from the rabbit._

_“Oh, shut it. Like you could do any better.”_

_“I can’t. Which is why I won’t try.”_

_Bonnie bent down to pick the balls back up. “You aren’t gonna learn anything with that attitude.” He tried to juggle them again before once again having them all fall to the ground and not his paws. “Dang it!”_

_Freddy laughed again before Fredbear came walking in the room._

_“Guys.”_

_The two looked over at him._

_“Scott and Mr. Fazbear returned. They want to talk to us.”_

_“Coming.” Freddy gestured for Bonnie to follow. He stopped at the door and gave the rabbit a look. “Put those back…”_

_Bonnie looked at the balls in his hands and chuckled nervously before tossing them in the box. They bounced out and rolled away. Bonnie went to go pick them up but noticed both bears had walked away. He spared a glance at the balls on the ground before shrugging and walked away. “Eh, someone else with clean them up.”_

_When the three returned to the showroom, they could see Spring sitting at the edge of the stage and standing by one of the tables were three humans._

_The first two were ones each animatronic knew well, Mr. Fazbear and Scott._

_Mr. Fazbear took notice of the animatronics and sighed. “Finally.”_

_“Sorry sir,” Fredbear bowed his head respectfully._

_Scott looked at his boss before smiling at the bears and rabbits. “So, how have things been guys?”_

_“Great!” Freddy said with a grin. “We have all been getting along great! Right Bonnie?”_

_“You betcha!” Bonnie smiled next, slinging an arm around the brown bear’s shoulders._

_“Yeah, yeah…” Mr. Fazbear cut in, glaring at them all. “Look, listen up. We will be opening next weekend, understand? I need you two,” he pointed at Freddy and Bonnie, “to be ready, understand me?”_

_“Yes sir,” Freddy agreed. Bonnie just gave a silent nod._

_“Good, because I don’t want any mistakes, do you got me!?”_

_As they spoke, Fredbear turned his attention to the third human who has yet to be introduce or even speak. He narrowed his eyes and tilted his head. After a minute of studying the man, he spoke up, accidentally interrupting Mr. Fazbear in the process. “Pardon me sir…may I ask who your friend here is?”_

_Mr. Fazbear and Scott tensed up, exchanging a secret look before the older man walked up to the third one._

_He was tall and young, looking not much older than 20, maybe just a bit younger. He had long black hair that was tied up in a loose and messy ponytail and piercing green eyes that glared up at the animatronics coldly. He wore a newly updated Fazbear uniform, this one a fresh shade of purple compared to the old grey uniforms that the employees at the diner used to have._

_“Him?” Mr. Fazbear questioned, eyeing the young man. “He’s…”_

_“Daniel…” the man spoke for himself, keeping his gaze locked intensely on the golden bear. “My name is Daniel.”_

_“Daniel…” Fredbear eyed him before offering a smile. “Nice to…nice to meet you, Danny.”_

_“No.” The young man snapped, his cold eyes turning even more icy as he sneered at the bear. “Just Daniel. I don’t go by Danny…”_

_“I’m…I’m sorry. Didn’t mean to offend,” Fredbear held up his paws, still keeping up a sincere smile._

_“Jeez,” Spring spoke up, jumping to his feet and lazily walking over. “Relax, kid. Just a nickname. I use them all the time…” He gave the young man a challenging look, smirking down at him. “Danny…”_

_Daniel glared up, not looking the least bit intimidated by the animatronic before Mr. Fazbear stepped between the two. “Okay…that’s enough…” He shot the young man a look before clearing his throat. “I’m glad we got introductions out of the way, because Daniel here will be working for us from now on. He’ll be coming in and out of the building during the week before opening, so be expecting him. Got it?”_

_The four animatronics nodded in understanding._

_“Good.” Mr. Fazbear let out a tired sigh before sharply turning back to Daniel. “And you…you stay out of trouble…you hear me.”_

_“Loud and clear, sir…”_

_Mr. Fazbear groaned, turning to Scott and making sure he follows as he walks away. “I got some paperwork to take care of. Scott, you are with me. Daniel…just do what you gotta do, boy.”_

_Daniel rolled his eyes before turning to look over at the animatronics once again. “You know…this will be exciting.” He smirked at them. “I just can’t wait to get to know you all better.”_

_Freddy felt his body tense up at the wicked smirk that was crossing this man’s features. There was something…off about him that Freddy couldn’t place._

_“It’s a real pleasure to be working alongside you guys.” His gaze snapped onto Fredbear and Spring, completely ignoring the younger two. “Let’s be…best friends, huh guys?”_

_Fredbear and Spring frowned at the word choice, also gaining an uneasy feeling from the purple clad man. Daniel just smirked at their expression before turning away, striding off in a random direction._

_“See you all around.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 6 has reached an end. The next chapter should be out in a few days. I don't know an exact date as to when I'll send it out, but it shouldn't be too long. 
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed. Please leave a kudos and comment! See ya next time!


	7. Caught!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike learns interesting new information, but none of that will matter when something big happens at night!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! A new chapter is up! I actually meant to upload this earlier today, but kept putting it off. Oh well, it's up now, that's what matters. I really hope you all enjoy this chapter! A lot is going to be coming your way, I will warn ya! 
> 
> Oh, and I've been debating on mentioning this, but I'm going to start working on my tumblr account that goes by the same name as my Ao3 account "thedeadlyspacepirate19" You should be able to find me if you type that in. But I must warn you, there are only two things on that blog and only one of those two things is even related to fnaf. The other thing is just me sharing my other fanfic that isn't important enough to mention here. But I AM going to upload more things fnaf related and it will all be connected to my trilogy story most likely. And maybe the occasional fanart for other things not related to fnaf. To be honest, at this very moment there is no rhyme or reason for the blog, but if you are curious about the things I'm going to upload, please do check it out. Only if you want to of course. I'm actually working on multiple pictures and each one is dedicated to a main character of this trilogy. None of them are done yet, but it'll be uploaded soon.
> 
> Okay, with that self promoting bit out of the way, I'll shut up and let you all get to the story! Enjoy!

Mike let his mind process all he learned from Freddy’s last part of the story. He found a lot of it interesting, but his mind mostly stuck on the very last thing he found out. “This Daniel guy…you mentioned you felt uneasy about him, right?”

“Yeah. There was just always something…odd about him.”

“He also had a weird obsession with Golden and Spring,” Bonnie jumped in. “I remember when he would come in, he would always just…stare at them.”

“Really?”

“Yeah,” Bonnie answered with a nod. “He was just always creepy. I never really liked him that much. But I guess it never mattered. Like I said, he mostly focused on the other two. As far as I knew, Freddy and I were just in the background for him.”

“I don’t be remembering this Daniel guy,” Foxy mentioned. “Was he fired before Chica and I be finished being made?”

“He…” Bonnie trailed off, lowering his head. “Huh…what did happen to that guy…”

“I have my hunch…” Freddy’s voice took on a darker tone.

“Freddy?” Chica questioned, resting her wing on his back.

The bear took in a deep breath before sighing it out. “I never trusted Daniel. And it was after he started hanging around our restaurant that things started to get weird…”

“Weird how?”

Bonnie decided to speak up again. “Just unusual exchanges between him and Mr. Fazbear. Like the two were always hiding things, even from us. Plus, there was Daniel’s unusual behavior. He could go from super quiet, like scary quiet and then suddenly explode at the littlest of things. Never in front of children, which I guess was a plus, but always in front of Mr. Fazbear or Scott…or Golden and Spring. He was especially nasty at those two.”

“Why?”

Bonnie shrugged. “You’re guess is as good as mine. He just never liked Golden and Spring, I guess. He would ignore Freddy and me like the plague. It’s like we didn’t exist in his eyes. He would only focus on those two.”

“Anyways,” Freddy jumped back in, “Besides all that, things weren’t _too_ bad. Eventually, our restaurant opened and after a while we became really popular. I mean, we were like one of the biggest places for families to go to for years.” Freddy smiled as he remembered the glory days of their business. Sure, even today the restaurants get a fair number of patrons and the children still have fun here, but Freddy would be the first to confirm that back then the business was at its prime. Each day felt like a new grand opening and the children and their parents would flock from all over and fill up the restaurant, eating their pizza and winning prizes all while Freddy and Bonnie would sing joy-filled songs to everyone.

“Many years actually ended up going by without anything too bad happening,” Freddy concluded as he remembered those simpler times fondly. “The most we had to worry about was Daniel’s mood swings after hours. He always acted like he hated working at the restaurant, like it was the worst place on earth, but he always stuck around for some reason. He even ended up being a guard during the day actually, while occasionally moving to the night shift.”

“So, he was a night guard before you guys started acting up?” Mike wanted to clarify.

“Yep. And like I said, for a while after Nick’s unfortunate death, there were no more…incidents.” Freddy sighed again, thinking over his words. “Anyways, as the months and years went by, Daniel started getting more and more irritated. So much so that the four of us, Fredbear, Spring, Bonnie, and I, were getting suspicious of him, especially Spring. So, he started doing some digging around since he had a lot of time off. It’s how we found out that…well…that Daniel was Mr. Fazbear’s nephew.”

“WHAT!?” Mike shouted in shock.

“Oh yeah,” Bonnie spoke up. “Blood related and everything. Part of the reason why he probably got the job. I guess it may be why he stuck around too, but we never got a real reason for that. But yeah, I can understand why it was such a shock, especially since the two never acted like family much. At least not in front of us. It was only after the job one day that Spring dragged us to where Mr. Fazbear’s office was so we could spy for a bit.”

 

* * *

 

 

_“Come one! Quickly, quickly!” Spring demanded, dragging the three with him away from the showroom._

_“Spring…” Fredbear muttered. “We don’t have time for this.”_

_“Shhh!” Spring hissed, glaring at him._

_“Golden’s got a point,” Bonnie said. “I mean shouldn’t we be back on stage right now?”_

_“Since when do you care about the rules?” Freddy questioned teasingly._

_“I’m a mystery.”_

_“Okay, first…” Spring spoke up, glaring sharply at Bonnie. “Don’t call him, ‘Golden’! Got it!”_

_Fredbear sighed. “Spring, you call me Goldie Locks all the time…how is Golden any different. I actually don’t mind that nickname…”_

_“It matters when it’s basically taking over your real name!” Spring barked out as quietly as he could._

_“So, the kids call me Golden Freddy, who cares? They are just kids. Again, I don’t see a big issue.”_

_“Ugh…nevermind…” Spring shook his head. “Look, the whole name thing isn’t the point right now.”_

_Fredbear crossed his arms irritably, not looking pleased. “Then what is the point?”_

_“The point is,” Spring returned the glare at the oldest animatronic, “I’ve been doing some digging on our ‘good friend’ Daniel and you’ll never believe what I figured out.”_

_“That you are insane and don’t know how to ignore irrelevant things?” Fredbear questioned, annoyed._

_“Okay, you are getting on my nerves…and no! He’s related to Mr. Fazbear.”_

_That got the three’s interest, though Fredbear still didn’t look all that impressed. “Okay…and?”_

_“Well…isn’t that weird!?” Spring questioned him._

_“No, no it is not.” Fredbear pinched the bridge of his nose before starting to turn around. “I’ve had enough of this…I’m going back to the stage…”_

_“No, you’re not!” Spring grabbed him by the back of his suit, tugging him backwards._

_Golden let out a hiss of pain. “Careful…my legs are starting to act up, remember?”_

_“Yeah, I’m not sorry.” He rolled his eyes at the yellow bear. “And it is weird! We’ve known that old man for years now and we never once knew he had family? Sounds suspicious to me.”_

_“Daniel is a grown man. He was 20 when he started working here. It makes sense as to why we never heard of him till then,” Golden tried to reason out. “He’s a grown man, probably busy with his own life. Simple.”_

_“Ugh, why are you being difficult today?!”_

_“You’re the one trying to dig up dirt where there is none. I’m just trying to keep out of other people’s business.”_

_There was a faint noise in the background that caught the older rabbit’s attention and his lifted a finger to his mouth. “Shhh!”_

_“Do not ‘shhh’ me!”_

_“SHHHHH!” Spring slapped both paws to Golden’s mouth and glared harshly. “Quiet. Everyone! And follow me.” Spring ignored Fredbear’s exasperated expression before he started to walk closer to where Mr. Fazbear’s office was, being as careful with his footing as possible._

_Freddy and Bonnie hesitated, looking over at Fredbear who just sighed in annoyance before gesturing them to go along before walking behind the yellow rabbit. Golden only followed after they started walking. Once they were close enough, they could hear soft chatter coming from the office space._

_Spring gestured wildly with his hands to get closer before listening in._

_“Daniel, you really need to talk to me,” Mr. Fazbear could be heard talking._

_“Aren’t I doing that right now, uncle?”_

_Spring smirked in triumph at hearing the word, only earning an eyeroll from Fredbear._

_“You know what I mean, boy…” Mr. Fazbear started up again._

_The four animatronics carefully peeked in, being as careful as possible, and saw Mr. Fazbear at a desk and Daniel in front of it, facing his uncle and having his back to the door._

_Daniel shifted in his seat before sighing out himself. “Look, I appreciate this, uncle, I really do. But there isn’t much to say anymore.”_

_“Daniel, you are not well. I thought hiring you as one of my employees would help a little, you know. Especially since our family has gotten so small during the years…”_

_“Can we_ not _talk about this…?”_

_“I’m sorry, but it’s true…” Mr. Fazbear ran a hand over his face, a tired expression going over his face. The two went quiet before he spoke up again. “How are you holding up? It’s been years now. I would hope you have some improvement by now.” When Daniel didn’t answer at first the old man tried again. “I can understand if you are still struggling. Especially after everything that has happened.”_

_“…”_

_“Damn it, talk to me, son! I’m trying here. Can’t you at least meet me halfway?”_

_“What do you want me to say uncle? Huh? What could I possibly say after everything I’ve done!”_

_Freddy furrowed his brows at hearing that. “What do you think he means?” he questioned softly._

_Spring just shrugged as an answer._

_Mr. Fazbear was quiet, trying to think of something to say, but he looked to be at a loss._

_Daniel decided to continue. “Look, I know you want to help me, but you can only do so much…I’m not the same kid I used to be. Things change…”_

_“Yes, things change. And I’m trying to keep up with it all, but over the years it gets more and more difficult.” There were tears building up in the older man’s eyes, much to the shock of the others, including Daniel. “Danny, you and I lost so much…it’s been so hard on me, but I can only imagine how terrible it has been on you. After all you and…” he couldn’t get himself to finish the sentence, a tear sliding down his face. “The point I’m trying to make is that I don’t want to lose you too. But I’m so afraid you are going down a dark path. For crying out loud, it’s taking so much careful planning to keep you from going to_ jail _again!”_

_“Just let them catch me already…save you the trouble.” Daniel spoke with such sincerity; it was almost as if he hadn’t cared if he would be arrested._

_“Jail?” Bonnie asked. “Did you know about that, Spring?”_

_“No,” Spring answered, not taking his eyes off the two humans. “I didn’t.”_

_“Like hell am I going to have my only family member left go and rot away behind bars!” Mr. Fazbear snapped, glaring over at Daniel. “I don’t care what you’ve done, I’m not losing you again! You hear me!?”_

_Daniel went quiet, looking to be shocked by his uncle’s declaration. The moment didn’t last however as he tore his gaze away from the man and frowned deeply. “We don’t always get what we want, uncle…didn’t_ you _tell me something like that when I was younger?” He stood up, turning a glare back at the man. “Fine, I’ll keep working in this shitty place, but I won’t stop complaining. Got it?” He went to mess with his hair, tying it up as he spoke more. “In the meantime, you should really consider finally getting rid of those two animatronics…I can’t stand looking at either of them anymore.”_

_“I’ve been considering it. Scott won’t stop complaining at me to keep them running though.”_

_“This isn’t about Scott. You and me both can’t deal with them for much longer anyways…just get that one plan of yours up and running and then we can finally be rid of them for good.”_

_Freddy and Bonnie shared worried looks before cautiously looking up at Spring who did not look happy at where the conversation was going._

_“Yeah, yeah…trust me, Daniel, I know. I want to get rid of those reminders just as much as you do.”_

_“Reminders?” Bonnie questioned the odd choice of word._

_Spring backed away, keeping his gaze locked on the ground before turning away and walking off._

_Fredbear let out a tired sigh before following after him. “Spring, wait for me.”_

_Bonnie and Freddy watched them leave, about to go after the two, but the humans’ conversation quickly caught their attention one last time._

_“In the meantime,” Mr. Fazbear spoke up, “please reconsider getting help. You obviously don’t have to admit to anything, and I encourage you don’t cause again, I am not going to see you handcuffed again, but find help, Daniel. I’m begging you.”_

_“Uncle…”_

_“I don’t want to see you so broken again. And…and you and I can’t afford any more…let’s call them accidents for now.”_

_“Pfft, that’s a hell of a way to phrase that day.”_

_“Don’t get smart with me. I still have trouble picturing you doing something…like_ that. _” He groaned, shaking his head. “Please, just think about it. Please. I know you have been getting irritated lately and I would hate to see more ‘accidents’ in the future.”_

_“Jeez, you act like I want to make this into a career.” Daniel complained, glaring at the man. He sighed when he was met with a much deeper scowl. “I’ll…I’ll consider it, Uncle.”_

_“Thank you, Danny…”_

_“Stop calling me that…”_

_“What the hell are they talking about now?” Bonnie questioned confused._

_Freddy felt like his insides were twisting, forcing his arms to move as he pushed Bonnie away. “Come on…we should check on Spring and Fredbear.”_

_“Yeah sure…”_

_The two quickly left before either of the Fazbear men could catch them._

* * *

 

Mike thought over the story, placing a hand to his chin. “It sounds like that Daniel guy did something really bad in the past.”

“Mmhmm…” Freddy agreed. “And…well, I don’t want to throw blame on someone, especially on the topic of something so serious, but after everything that has happened in the past before Daniel was hired and my own suspicious growing on him, I ended up thinking…well, what I mean is…”

Mike figured out where Freddy was going, his eyes growing wide. “You think Daniel is the one who killed Nick.”

The bear let out a deep breath and nodded his head. “I do. Please understand, I have no proof. Just my own suspicions and that odd conversation between him and Mr. Fazbear. I know he did something to be thrown in jail once, but he obviously got out, and I think it was because of Mr. Fazbear.”

“It’s definitely a hunch. And it would explain why no one was able to find Nick’s killer, right?”

Freddy nodded. “Yes. Even if I am wrong, and Daniel isn’t the killer, Mr. Fazbear has definitely been keeping him safe from getting arrested for something bad.”

“Man, that’s shady as hell…” Mike commented with a shake of his head. He thought over this new bit of information for a bit before looking back at Freddy. “So, what happened next exactly?”

The bear chuckled at Mike’s curiosity, admiring the shine of determination that flashed across his eyes. He glanced at the clock, sighing when he noticed it was 11:45. “I appreciate the enthusiasm Mike, but time seems to be flying by. You should get ready for your shift.”

“Damn, it’s that late already!?” Mike stood up from his spot. “Yeah, okay…I understand. But you’ll tell me more after my shift, right?”

“Of course. There is still plenty of story left after all.”

“Okay, I’ll head to the office early,” Mike explained as he stood up.

“And we’ll head back to the basement,” Fred spoke up gesturing to himself and the other Toys.

“Ugh…I hate it in there…” Bon-Bon complained.

“Well get over it,” Fred gave him a look. “We have to deal with it for Mike’s safety.” He waved at the others, walking down the hall. “See you in the morning everyone.”

When the Toys walked away, Mike went to head out himself.

“Mike,” Freddy stopped him.

“Yeah?”

“…be careful tonight. This is your fourth night and…well I won’t be able to keep in control as well. Please keep an eye out for all of us, okay?”

“Got it. Don’t worry, I can handle this!”

“Okay, just please be careful.”

Mike gave him a thumbs up before walking away.

Foxy stood up, explaining he was heading to Pirate’s Cove and the remaining three headed up on the stage. When Freddy looked at the two by his side, he offered a reassuring smile.

“Hey, everything will be alright. I promise.”

Bonnie and Chica looked at each other before smiling back, showing as much confidence as they could afford to spare. The three went silent as they waited for midnight to hit.

 

* * *

 

 

Mike flinched when he heard the phone ring and instantly picked it up. He cradled it between his head and shoulder as he used both hands to check the cameras at the same time.

He almost instantly started to drown the phone guy out, questioning why he even picked it up in the first place when suddenly he heard a loud banging noise come from the receiver.

_“Uh, hey, listen, I may not not be around to send you a message tomorrow…It’s-It’s been a bad night here for me.”_ The banging in the recording got louder and soon Mike was turning off the camera to focus intently to the noises he heard. _“Um, I-I’m kinda glad that I recordered my messages for you, uh, when I did.”_

Mike didn’t need to see the mystery man’s face to know he probably was completely terrified by the time this was recorded. The fear in the man’s voice brought up Mike’s own uneasiness as he listened closer. The banging just got more intense.

_“Uh, hey, do me a favor. Maybe sometime, uh, you could check inside those suits in the back room? I’m gonna try to hold out until someone checks. Maybe it won’t be so bad. Uh, I-I-I-I always wondered what was in all those empty heads back there.”_

That’s when Mike heard the familiar tune of Freddy’s music box. Phone guy went to speak but when he seemed to notice the tune he stopped for a moment.

_“Oh, no…”_

Mike listened closely only to jump when he heard Freddy scream loudly and crashing before the line went dead. “O-okay…” Mike slowly hung up the phone before moving back to the camera. Bonnie and Chica were already gone and in another room, thankfully not too close to the office just yet, which relieved the guard. Freddy was still on stage, and Foxy was sticking his head out the curtain, staring directly in the camera. The look in his eyes was enough proof for the guard that he wasn’t in control either. “Okay, okay, okay, okay…everything is okay. You are still at full power, the night just started, you got this.”

Mike let out a sigh of relief, not letting the message of the most likely death of that phone guy get to him just yet. He needed to be focused and worrying over a man he didn’t know wasn’t going to help in the slightest. So, settling his nerves, Mike went to work.

 

* * *

 

 

The night had been going by and Mike didn’t even realize it was already past five. He was a nervous mess as he went from camera, light, door, repeat. He glanced down and was thankful to find he was actually doing okay with the power for once. Maybe tonight would be the first time he doesn’t have a close call with that.

Mike couldn’t help but feel a little more at ease as he thought this over. So, if all went well, all Mike would need to worry about is making sure none of the animatronics slipped in the room. Speaking of…he heard a noise to his left and went to check just in time to see Bonnie walking up. He instinctively shut the door before the rabbit could even reach for the entrance and went back to checking on the others.

Foxy had suddenly bolted, but Mike didn’t care too much as the fox always went straight to the same door Bonnie was currently standing in front of. Chica was making noises in the kitchen and Freddy was standing by the bathroom. So far, everything was okay.

Mike jumped when he heard a loud crash outside the door and could scarcely make out a voice.

“Damn it Foxy! Get the hell off me, idiot!”

“Ugh…what? Where am I?”

“Sitting on my back!”

Mike grinned, tapping on the door. “Everything okay out there, you two?”

Bonnie and Foxy could be heard standing up before the rabbit answered. “Oh, just fine, Mikey. Don’t open the door just yet. I don’t trust…” he paused as he let out a groan of pain. “I don’t trust myself just yet…”

“Got it.”

“Sorry lad,” Foxy was heard next, sounding very dejected.

“It’s okay, Foxy. Relax at the cove, okay?” Mike wished he could open the door, but Mike had to agree with Bonnie. He’s seen through the cameras just how fast one of them can go from in control to out of control. One moment of weakness was not worth the risk of getting caught right now.

There were footsteps fading away and Mike checked the camera and saw Bonnie slip into the supply closet and Foxy return back to the Pirate’s Cove. While he was at it, he checked the others. Chica was outside the kitchen and Freddy was still standing by the bathrooms.

The guard relaxed a bit since none of them were too close yet, deciding to rely on listening for a little bit.

What he didn’t see was a shadow slinking behind him and out the door. The shadow continued down the hall, taking advantage of the dark layout of the building before slinking into the supply closet where Bonnie stood.

The rabbit had his hands to his head, eyes shut tight in concentration. He was muttering softly to himself, trying as hard as he could to stay in control of his own body.

“Come on, Bonnie…you gotta fight it. Do it for Mikey. Do it for Mikey…”

_“No!”_ a soft yet demanding voice echoed in his head. _“We gotta get him! Gotta go! Move it! Move it!”_

“No way! I won’t hurt Mike. You can’t make me!”

A second voice chuckled, this time from behind the rabbit. Bonnie flinched, turning on his heals and seeing the tall figure of the puppet miraculously behind him. “Oh, sweet little Angelica certainly is a treat, isn’t she?”

“You…” Bonnie muttered softly before glaring sharply. “You!”

The white dot in the center of Puppet’s eyes rolled in an annoyed gesture before he glared down at Bonnie. “Yeah, it’s me.”

The two heard a clicking noise and looked to see the camera in the closet turning on. Puppet instantly lifted a hand and his ghostly shadows shot out to cover the lens.

“There…” Puppet smirked at the rabbit. “Privacy. Nice, huh?”

“Why are you talking to me?!” Bonnie demanded.

“I just want to talk for fun. Why can’t I do things I want to do?”

Bonnie gave him a dirty look. “Because you want to kill Mikey, and we will not let you!”

Puppet scoffed at him. “You people are just keeping me from my goal. If you were in my shoes you would understand.”

Bonnie felt his ears flop down as he desperately looked in the Puppet’s eyes. “Nick…”

“Puppet to you,” the possessed animatronic hissed.

“Look, Ni-Puppet, Puppet…” Bonnie corrected when he saw the dark look crossing the animatronic’s face. “Puppet, please, you have to listen. I heard what you’ve been through. I finally know how and why you ended up like this.”

“Oh, I know…” Puppet glared darkly at the rabbit. “You and the other animatronics have been getting pretty chummy with the night guard, haven’t you?”

“Mikey is our friend…” Bonnie returned the dark look. “He’s been our friend since he was a kid.”

Puppet rolled his eyes again, crossing his arms over his chest. “Well, I hope you said a cheerful goodbye to the guy. Because tonight will be the night, Bonnie.”

“No!” Bonnie’s eyes turned to their inky black as he reached for the puppet animatronic. “No! I won’t allow it! You think killing Mike will solve anything? That killing him will lead you closer to the purple guy!? It won’t!”

“I don’t care what you think!” Puppet screamed at him. “I won’t stop killing night guard after night guard until I find him! And you or that stupid Mikey guy won’t stop me! _He’s_ going to return one day. The Purple Guy is sure to return one day. I’m not going to risk sparing a guard when it could be him!”

“You can’t keep killing innocent men like this, Nick!” Bonnie demanded. “Mikey is innocent!”

Puppet’s hand shot out, wrapping around Bonnie’s neck, yanking the animatronic closer. “Listen to me, rabbit…I know he’s out there. He’ll come back. I don’t care if Mike is the purple guy or not! I am going to find my killer and let others know of the suffering _we_ have all been through because of that man! And sure, all those past night guards may not have been my killer, but that just makes them great _practice_ for when I find the right guy.”

Bonnie felt his body tense up at the words.

“And for the last time…I’m Puppet now.” Puppet slammed Bonnie against the wall, the rabbit letting out a loud cry of pain at the contact. He showed no pity for the animatronic as his body started to fade away. “Angelica…show no mercy.”

Bonnie felt his entire body freeze up in fear at the last sentence, watching desperately as Puppet vanished. Once he was out of sight, his body began to spasm, twitching uncontrollably. An electrifying pain shot through his endoskeleton, throbbing in his head, and the rabbit screamed out in agony. He tried to push all the pain away, but it kept coming back wave after wave. Finally, he couldn’t fight anymore and gave in. His mind went fuzzy and he lost the feeling of his arms and legs.

The last coherent thing he was able to register was his arm shooting out on its own and opening the door to the closet before his mind went blank.

 

* * *

 

 

It was so close to six!

Mike was a frantic mess as he went from one door to the other. Bonnie and Chica were both at the doors and Mike didn’t think he could take much more of this when he realized how much power this was draining. “Come on you two! Leave!”

He peeked out the window to his left and could scarcely make out Bonnie’s figure. He groaned and went to the right and right when he leaned closer to that window, there was a harsh bang on the glass and Chica’s face appeared, glaring angrily at him.

He jumped back at that before sliding back in his chair, dropping his head into his hands. “Oh gosh…if I don’t die by haunted animatronics, I’m so going to die from a heart attack at this rate…”

There was a faint knock at the window to his right and instead of checking, he clicked the camera and sure enough saw Chica walking away. He sighed in relief, opening the door. He re-checked the left door and Bonnie was just starting to walk away himself. He waited for a moment before opening the door and moving back to the camera.

He checked on Foxy first and yelled in fright when he noticed the damaged animatronic was starting his run to the office. “Come on!” Mike shouted, slamming the left door shut.

He heard growls and bangs at the door as Foxy appeared but tried his best to tune them out.

“Okay…Where did Freddy go?” Mike questioned, opening the cameras again as he waited for Foxy to leave. He spared a glance at the clock. 5:47. Not much longer and his friends would be back to normal. Mike didn’t cheer yet. He knew a lot can change in even a short amount of time.

He was about to open the left door again, but then a new noise caught his attention.

“Mikey?”

“Freddy?” Mike took care of the door before checking the camera. That’s when he heard a gentle tap at the door to his right. He gulped nervously before looking over and sure enough, the brown bear stood there, leaning on the door lazily. When did…? “Freddy? Is-Is that you?”

Freddy smirked wickedly at him, crossing his arms.

Nope, this wasn’t Freddy.

“Don’t worry, Mikey…” The voice that spoke was Freddy’s, but the guard finally took notice of a strange echoing effect that filtered in with the original voice. “I’m just waiting for you to notice.”

“Notice?” Mike cautiously stood up, backing away and placing his back to the wall. He was preparing himself to bolt when need be.

Freddy laughed cruelly, slowly uncrossing his arms. “Yes, you dummy. You really must not be paying attention if you haven’t seen them yet.”

“Who…who are you talking…” Mike’s eyes widened in fear when he saw the bear lift a paw and twirl a set of familiar keys around a finger. Mr. Fazbear’s original set that Fred had stolen the night they first woken up. “…about…”

Freddy laughed again. “Boss told us to wait, just in case. He’s getting really tired of you, Mikey. I have to admit. I’m impressed. I’ve never seen Boss act this desperate. Normally he would let a guard get to at least a fifth night, but you are different.”

Mike felt his body tense up as he desperately reached for the computer, deciding to risk being closer to the bear. Freddy’s body didn’t move from the doorway, just watching in amusement.

“So anyways, Boss stole the keys from the Toys and gave them to me. I promised to wait until he gave me a signal to release them. He wanted us four to try and get you one more time before relying on the other robots. Guess we weren’t fast enough. Who knows…?” A childish pout formed on Freddy’s face as he glared at the wall next to him. “I could have done it if Freddy would stop trying to keep me away. Stupid bear…”

Mike turned on the camera, checking one after another before sure enough, he saw the Toys slowly walking their way to his office. “Shit…” He backed up before shooting a look at the bear.

“You are right here. Why aren’t you trying anything!?”

There was a dark laugh that escaped from the bear’s mouth before he glared at the guard. “Because I like to torment you, Mikey. And Freddy too. Right now, he is screaming at me to not do this.” He deepened his voice to mimic Freddy’s. “‘Oh Shawn, you can’t do this! Leave poor Mikey alone.’ Blah, blah, blah!” He burst into more laughter. “I swear you idiots are too easy to mess with…” His ear flickered at a noise, and he looked down the hall and smirked. “I’d be ready if I were you, Mikey. Company has just arrived.”

He watched as Freddy backed up only to instantly see Fred and Bon-Bon step into the room.

“Shit!” Mike reached for the spare mask, slamming it on his head and stood stock still.

Fred and Bon-Bon struggled into the room, but neither seemed to notice at all. The guard couldn’t believe just how emotionless the two really did act at night. They stared at Mike, but the way their eyes pierced through him, the guard felt like they more stared through his body. The two animatronics studied Mike, as if they were looking for something but couldn’t quite catch it yet.

“F-Fred…? Bon-Bon?” Mike attempted, standing up. He took slow steps backwards, trying to back up to the left door. “Come on you two…it’s…it’s me. Remember?” His back hit something solid and he tensed up and turned only to find Chicky standing there. “Oh shit!”

He heard Freddy’s laugh again and the bear leaned closer to the entrance. “Not so fun, is it? Being surrounded like this? It’s funny. All we would need to do is take off that ridiculous mask and they will attack. How easy it would be.”

“Guys come on! All of you need to snap out of it!” Mike tried again. He looked at the clock. Only five minutes have gone by since he last checked. “Guys, please!”

Tears were in his eyes as he tried to push away from the Toys. The mask trick seemed to work, but Mike knew he couldn’t stay like this. The possessed Freddy was still just outside the door, mockingly waiting, giving the guard a smug look.

_Maybe I can get away if I leave out the other door. I just need to slip past Chicky,_ Mike thought desperately. He tried that, starting to take a few steps away.

Freddy seemed to notice this and just shook his head in amusement. “You think that’s going to save you? You forget that there are others, right?” He paused to laugh. “The Toys really are helpful. They keep you distracted enough to not even notice them.”

Mike heard heavy footsteps behind him and turned just in time to see Foxy bolt in the room. He screamed, trying to dodge the pirate, but he only succeeded into bumping into Fred and Bon-Bon. The Toys not only distracted him, but they made escape almost near impossible.

Foxy raised a paw, gripping onto Mike’s arm tightly before raising the hook hand to his neck.

“Be quiet…” Foxy hissed, his voice also taking on that odd echoing effect like Freddy’s. “Or I’m going to slice your neck open. Got it!?”

“O-okay…okay…” Mike raised his free hand up in surrender. “I won’t run.”

“I said, shut it!” Foxy growled, pressing the hook closer.

“You got him!” Mike recognized Chica’s voice speak out as the bird popped next to Freddy.

There was a loud giggle as Bonnie appeared next. “We finally did it, guys!”

“Guys! Please you have to-.” Mike was silenced as Foxy’s hook pressed dangerously close this time, the tip poking into his skin and drawing just the slightest amount of blood.

“Quiet! No use running…”

Freddy pushed his way through the Toys and up to the guard. He flipped off the mask and the reaction from the Toys was almost instant.

 Fred and Bon-Bon noticed first, lunging at the guard. Mike screamed but to his shock, Freddy’s arm came up to stop them, but not in the way he expected. Freddy swung at them with all his might before slamming his arm at their heads. The two fell backwards, falling to the ground with a harsh crash.

“Fred! Bon-Bon!” Mike screamed out. He saw the light of their eyes flicker before growing dark. “Are they okay!?” He didn’t get an answer, only another lunge from Chicky. Bonnie did the same to her as Freddy did to the others. Chicky crashed down, beak falling off and eyes sliding shut. There was scuttling from above and that’s when Mike notice Mangle, the broken fox climbing along the ceiling. Foxy pulled Mike back just enough for the other fox to slam into the ground, missing Mike in their attack. Freddy kicked the pink and white animatronic away before gesturing the original four to follow him.

“Come on. We wasted enough time. Boss is waiting.”

“Got it!” Foxy called first, dragging Mike with them. The guard kicked and screamed, desperately looking at the Toys who were sprawled on the ground and still unmoving. He didn’t even get to process where he was going after he left the safety of his office before, he was shoved into a room where all the spare parts for the animatronics rested.

“About time!” A new voice growled, and Mike turned his head to see an animatronic he’s never seen before.

The Puppet stood by a ready Freddy suit, lifting up the mask impatiently. “I’ve been waiting forever!”

“It’s only been 20 minutes since you and I last talked…” Freddy complained.

“Yeah, 20 minutes of you just staring at Mike at the _open_ door!” Puppet screamed. “I saw everything! Why didn’t you just take him when you had more time!”

“Does it matter!?” Freddy yelled back. “He’s here, isn’t he? We can fight about this later, idiot!”

“Oh, we will definitely discuss this later, Shawn…” Puppet said before pointing at the fox. “You! Stick him in here already! We only have a few minutes left! Thanks to a certain someone!”

“I said later, Nick!” Freddy screamed, glaring at the Puppet.

Hearing the name, Mike gasped in shock, desperately looking at Puppet’s face. “Ni-Nick? You’re Nick!?”

Puppet smirked, watching Foxy, Bonnie, and Chica start to position the squirming Mike over the opening of the suit. “Yes. It’s a shame we couldn’t get to know each other, Mikey. Unfortunately, this is your end.”

“Wai-wait! Nick, please! Please, listen to me! I can help you! I can help all of you!” Mike let out a terrified yell as he saw Bonnie grip tightly onto his ankle and tried to force it in the opening of the suit.

“So, you’ve said countlessly…” Puppet commented, glaring at him. “Get it over with already!”

“Stop squirming!” Bonnie complained, his voice almost losing all of what sounded like Bonnie and sounding more like a child…a little girl. Mike would have focused more on that if he wasn’t about to be shoved into the mechanical suit.

“Guys! Please! Let me go! I can figure this out! I just need some time!” Bonnie and Foxy teamed up with the leg, locking it in place before Chica and Freddy grabbed his upper body to keep him up. “Guys! Please! Please don’t do this! Guys! Snap out of it! You have to snap out of it! Freddy! Bonnie! Chi-AAAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Mike’s left foot was shoved into the suit, the mechanics on the inside already putting a death grip on it. Blood spirted out from dozens of wounds and a sickening crunch was heard next. Mike screamed in agony, tears welling in his eyes and streaming out as his entire body spasmed in pain.

Puppet grinned cruelly, watching and waiting for the end results. Yet, right when he was about to watch Mike’s other leg get placed inside, there was a very familiar ringing that filled the air and mixed with the guard’s cries. Puppet’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped into a frown. “No…”

It was six.

“NO!”

The four animatronics went slack for a moment, eyes flickering open and close before finally they registered what was going on.

Freddy was the first to notice Mike in his arms and his foot lodged into the spare suit. He cursed, gripping tightly onto Mike’s arm. “Shit, Mike! Guys, stop!” he cried to the others and soon, the remaining three also understood what they were doing.

“Mikey!” Foxy yelled, almost dropping the guard, but he knew that wouldn’t be the best option.

“Get his foot out!” Bonnie demanded, carefully placing a paw to the left leg. Mike screamed when the rabbit tried to help him out, and Bonnie flinched back.

“Bonnie, don’t stop,” Freddy told him. “We have to free Mike right now. Foxy, help him by tearing at the gears in the suit. It should loosen Mike’s foot.”

Mike sobbed, leaning into Freddy for comfort. “It hurts! It hurts!”

“I know, it’ll be over soon, I promise.” The bear watched as Bonnie and Foxy struggled to safely remove Mike’s leg. He looked over at the crying Chica and carefully guided her to hold Mike steady in his place. “Hold him.”

He let go when Chica had a good grip, about to help Mike when he finally noticed the enraged Puppet. The two stared at each other before Puppet finally decided to vanish from sight without a word.

Bonnie notice him flee, growling at where he once stood. “Hey! Get back here, brat!”

“Not now, Bonnie…” Freddy muttered, stepping to the other side of the guard. “Foxy, you keep working with the suit, Bonnie, you and I are going to pull Mike’s leg out. Okay?”

“Yeah.”

“Mike,” Freddy cast a serious look at the crying man. “This is going to hurt a lot, but you have to bear with me, okay?”

Mike could only nod as an answer, a noise, much like a whimper, escaping from his mouth. He let out another sharp hiss of pain as his foot was slowly removed from the suit before going limp in the animatronics’ hold.

Freddy instantly went to replace Chica’s position, being as careful as possible as he scooped Mike in his arms and carried him to the showroom, all while whispering soft words of encouragement to him. “You’re going to be okay, Mike. I swear. I promise you. Okay? Everything will be fine.”

They laid Mike across the stage. Foxy instantly went to rest Mike’s head across his lap as the other three went to assess the damage.

“Definitely broken.” Freddy said. He didn’t move the foot but did brush his paw over the tender skin, earning a hiss and broken sob from Mike. Freddy sighed in relief, despite the reaction. “All the bleeding is just from a lot of cuts. That’s a good sign. None of them look too deep, but we can’t be too sure.” He looked over at the guard’s face. “Mike, you need to go to the hospital.”

“I…I can’t. I don’t have a way to get there…”

“We can call an ambulance,” Freddy said.

“I can’t afford that…” Mike groaned.

“Dude, you shouldn’t worry about money in a time like this,” Bonnie said.

Freddy nodded his head in agreement. “Money can wait for another time. Right now, you need medical professionals looking at this and we are not that, Mike.”

“Ah…” Mike gasped out, leaning his head back against Foxy’s lap. “Shit…this really hurts…”

“See, lad?” Foxy whispered. “You need to get that treated and fast.”

More tears slipped down the guard’s face, emotions swirling within him. “I’m sorry, guys…”

“What?” Foxy questioned shocked. “Why are ye sorry, lad?”

“I messed up. I didn’t pay close enough attention…this wouldn’t be happening if-.”

“I’m stopping you right there, Michael,” Freddy spoke to him, his voice growing as serious as possible. “This…this was not your fault. You couldn’t have known this would happen.”

“Yeah,” Chica said. “If anything, we are the ones who failed you…” She lowered her head in shame, more tears slipping down her own face. “We couldn’t stop ourselves in time.”

Freddy stood to hug his sister. “Shush now. None of us should be taking blame right now. Okay?” He hugged her again before pulling back. “Right now, we need to focus on getting Mike to the hospital. Okay?” The gave silent responses in agreement and Freddy forced a smile. “Okay good. First, let’s stop the bleeding. Bonnie, go to the first aid kit and get some supplies. Okay?”

“Right.” The rabbit left and returned quickly, already pulling out some gauze and ace bandages out, starting to clean and wrap up the ankle as carefully as he could. He didn’t get far as there was the sound of a door clicking open and all turned to see Mr. Fazbear struggling to get inside.

“Damn spare key…” He complained, stuffing it inside his pocket.

“Mr. Fazbear! Perfect!” Freddy called in joy, practically running to the man.

The owner backed away in fright, holding his arms up. “Whoa now! What the hell are you doing?”

“You need to help Mike!” Freddy gestured to the guard. “He needs to go to the hospital and we obviously can’t take him, and he is in no shape to do so on his own.”

Mr. Fazbear eyed the guard before approaching. “What the hell happened to him?”

“It…it was us…” Freddy admitted. “We accidently hurt Mike during his shift and-.”

“Hmph…figures…” Mr. Fazbear glared at the bear before shoving him away. He looked at the ankle, carefully peeling back the bandages Bonnie placed. “Damn, this won’t do…” He locked eyes with the guard. “I told you, didn’t I Mike. These monsters can’t be saved.”

“It wasn’t their fault…” Mike growled, trying to sit up only to have Foxy settle him back down.

“Save your energy, lad.”

Mr. Fazbear gave the animatronic a look before sighing and rubbing his hand over his eyes. “I’ll take you to the hospital, boy. I can’t have my employee lose his foot now…”

“Mikey could lose his foot!?” Chica asked in a panic.

“Not if we get him to the hospital now…” Mr. Fazbear turned away. “One of you carry him to my car. And let’s be quick about it.”

“Wow, such sympathy…” Bonnie muttered annoyed.

“Shh,” Freddy shushed, shooting a look at his brother. He walked over to Mike, carefully picking him up again. “Okay, Mike. Let’s go.”

“Yeah, okay…” Mike muttered, gripping onto Freddy tightly. The animatronics all followed Mr. Fazbear, before the old man stopped them at the door. “Only Freddy. Don’t want to draw too much attention with all of you out here.”

The three staying inside didn’t look happy, giving dirty looks at the man before Freddy told them to relax. He then quickly followed the owner outside, making a beeline to his car. When Mr. Fazbear opened the backseat, Freddy carefully placed Mike inside. “There you go. You’ll be okay now.”

“Thanks Freddy.”

“Don’t thank me. Just get that foot fixed okay?”

“Yeah, I promise. I’ll be back before you know it.”

Mr. Fazbear huffed at the two before pushing Freddy away. “Okay, back inside you…” He was about to enter the car as the bear turned away before stopping. “…” He cast a glance over at Mike before back at Freddy and sighed. He slammed the front door shut and walked up to the building with the bear. Freddy eyed his curiously before he was shoved inside, and the man locked the door. “I’m keeping the place closed for the day. Take the day off, all of you.”

“Wait, really?” Freddy asked on the other side of the door.

“Yeah…no birthday parties planned today or any other special event. I’m gonna give my employees a day to relax…Be ready for Saturday though. We’ll be back and running then, got it?”

“Yes sir.” Freddy watched the owner give a huff before turning away and back in the car. He looked to say something to Mike before the car drove off. Freddy watched the car go until it was out of sight before sighing and returning to the others at the stage.

“Is Mikey going to be okay?” Bonnie asked worriedly.

“He’ll be fine. Mr. Fazbear is taking him to the hospital right now as we speak.”

Bonnie groaned, shaking his head. “Damn it! I can’t believe we got that close!”

“We can’t beat ourselves up about it, Bonnie,” Freddy told him.

“Dude! If there was just one more minute before six, Mike would be dead!”

“Don’t just go saying that!” Foxy screamed at him, marching to him.

Bonnie glared back, not intimidated as the pirate got in his face. “You know I’m right! Why are you getting so angry?! I’m just being realistic here!”

“I don’t want to be thinking about that!” Foxy snarled. “Yeah, we almost hurt him, but he be alive! That’s what I want to be focused on!”

Bonnie backed up, waving the fox off. “Oh, so what about the next night he’s here? Huh?! Each night we get a little bit closer! I say we should think responsibly and finally do something about it!”

“What are you getting at, Bonnie?” Freddy asked exasperated before Foxy could bark out a reply.

“Dude, we can’t keep putting Mike in danger like this! We have to have a solution now. I’m not going to be like you idiots and just be grateful he’s alive _right now!_ I am going to put an end to this today!”

“And what be your big plan to do then, huh Bonnie!?” Foxy demanded, glaring at him. “Lock us up? We already know that won’t be working! We just will be able to break down the door in seconds with them kids possessing us! Then Mike will have us _and_ the Toys after him!”

“No! Of course not!”

“Then what exactly Bonnie?” Foxy growled, getting in the rabbit’s face. “What be your big plan to put a stop to us getting possessed, because I sure would love to hear it!”

“I don’t know!” Bonnie screamed at the fox. The two went silent, but neither let up their scowls. “But I’m not going to just act like the next night will be better. Not after what happened today! I’ll figure something out, with or without your guys’ help.”

“Bonnie, wait just a second…” Freddy spoke up, stepping between his two brothers. “First of all, I want both of you to calm down.” When neither responded to him, just shooting him their glares he tried again. “Look, what happened before was unacceptable, I think we can all agree on that. Mike got hurt and we couldn’t put a stop to it. But getting angry at each other is not going to solve _anything_. You guys know this. We can come up with a solution together. I know we can.”

Bonnie lowered his head, crossing his arms. There were tears in his eyes that he didn’t bother wiping away. “I don’t want to hurt Mike again, Freddy…I can’t do that to him.”

“And we won’t. What happened earlier was one bad accident, but no more. I’ll make sure of that. We will think of something to do. Believe me.”

“I do believe you, Freddy…I always have. I just…” Bonnie sighed before stepping away. “I think I need a moment to myself.”

“I understand.”

Bonnie offered him a gentle smile before sighing. He passed a glance at Foxy who still didn’t look to happy at him. He winced at the dirty look the fox offered him before turning away.

Freddy noticed and shot a look at the pirate. “Foxy…”

“…I’m gonna go back to me cove…” Foxy blinked back tears as he sprinted away.

Freddy sighed, watching the fox leave. He knew Foxy also needed some space. He decided to check on Foxy in a moment after he’s had some time to process everything that happened. That’s when he heard a choked sob and his eyes widened in shock. He turned to see Chica sitting on the edge of the stage, hugging Cupcake to her chest and crying, letting her tears flow down to her bib.

“Oh, Chica…” He ran to his sister, wrapping her in a hug that the bird greatly appreciated.

“Fr-freddy…Mike’s going to be okay, right? He’s going to be okay…?”

“Of course, he will. It was just his foot. Nothing he won’t be able to get back up from in time.”

“Bu-bu-but we…we hurt him! And now-now he has a broken ankle. What…what if he needs to run from us at night! He won’t be able to and it’s all our faaaaaaults!” Chica sobbed out once more, burying her face in Freddy’s chest.

The bear hugged her tightly, patting her back as he did. “Shhh, no, no. This isn’t any of our faults. This was just an unfortunate incident. Shhh, please don’t cry, Chica.”

“I-I can’t help it! I just keep thinking back to when six hit! The first thing I saw was Mikey screaming in pain! He was hurt and we did it to him! We hurt our Mikey, Freddy! We promised him we would always look out for him! And we failed!”

Freddy shushed her once again, letting her lean against him. She almost dropped Cupcake so he quickly scooped it up and handed it back to Chica. “Here you go. Look, Cupcake is here for you. Look at it.”

“Her!” Chica corrected with a sniffle.

“My apologies, look at her.”

Chica let out a small giggle as Freddy waved Cupcake around by their laps in an attempt to make her smile. She giggled when Freddy lifted Cupcake up and had her boop Chica on her beak.

“There’s a smile.”

Chica sniffled again as her smiled spread across her face. Her sobbing died down a bit as she looked at the bear. “Thank you, Freddy. You always know how to cheer me up.” Chica wiped a few stray tears away before hugging him tightly.

“What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t help my sister out?”

Chica giggled again pulling back and hugging Cupcake to her chest. “You’re the best, Freddy. I love you.”

“Aw, and I love you too.” Freddy smiled at her. “At least I was able to cheer you up.” He sighed dejectedly. “If only Bonnie and Foxy could be as cheerful as you.” He gave a teasing smile as he gently poked fun at their brothers.

Chica giggled before leaning her head on Freddy’s shoulder. “They’ll calm down soon. I can’t blame them…”

“No neither can I…” Freddy took off his hat and ran a hand through the tuffs of faux fur on his head. The two went silent, just relaxing against the other and staring off at the empty restaurant.

Freddy looked over at the hallway, letting his mind wander. “The Toys sure have been in the basement for a while. Wonder what’s taking them?”

“Yeah…I would think Bon-Bon would have left the second they woke up.”

Freddy gave a quiet laugh. “Yeah, you have a point.” He sighed, leaning back from Chica’s side. “I should go check on them.”

“Oh! Let me do it! Please?”

Freddy smirked at her before gesturing with his paw towards the hall. “Be my guest.”

“Got it! I’ll be back!” She skipped across the room and to the hall. Freddy chuckled at her antics before letting his mouth fall in a deep frown. He let out a deep and tired sigh before standing up on the stage, moving in front of his microphone stand.

Chica meanwhile went to glance at Pirate’s Cove, seeing Foxy’s stage covered in the curtain, hiding the fox. She hesitated at the doorway for a moment, wanting to check on her brother before deciding to let him be for a bit longer. She then stepped away and went straight to the basement. When she came across the opened door to the room, she stopped in her tracks and frowned. “They are already out?”

She looked inside, seeing darkness and no Toys. She titled her head in confusion before looking around.

“Where did they go…” She decided to continue on, trying to remember if she saw any of the Toys since 6 hit, but all she could remember since she regained control of her body was the injured Mike. That’s when a worried thought crossed her mind. She gasped and started to run to Mike’s office. “They couldn’t have gotten loose last night, could they?!”

She sprinted to the office, stopping at the right door. When she did, she instantly froze up, her beak dropping open.

All four Toys were still on the ground, eyes still shut and not showing any signs of being active. Chica dropped her cupcake in shock and more tears fell from her eyes. She let out a horrified scream at the discovery of the younger animatronics.

Bonnie was the first to hear her scream. Jumping from inside the supply closet and bolting out. “Chica!” he yelled out in worry, bolting to the source of the noise. He decided to cut through Mike’s office when he froze at the left door and saw what made his sister scream.

“Oh my god…”

Foxy came next, almost crashing into Bonnie. “Chica! What be the…” he trailed off when he saw the Toys. “Oh no…”

Freddy finally arrived shortly after Foxy, stepping up to Chica’s side. He saw his sister at the end of the hall, about to call out to her. Chica noticed him and ran before he could see inside the office. She tackled Freddy in a hug, crying in his chest.

“Whoa, whoa. Chica, it’s okay. Hey…” He hugged her back instantly, patting her back. “It’s okay, what’s wrong?”

“Freddy…” Bonnie said, slowly stepping over the Toys to the other side of the office. “It’s…It’s the Toys. They are busted.”

“What!?” Freddy gently pushed Chica away and to the door to examine what was going on. Sure enough, all the Toys were still on the ground, unmoving. “I…” He racked his brain, trying to think of when this could have happened. He thought about what happened after 6 like Chica but realized it couldn’t have been then. He tried to force himself what happened when he lost control, but his mind kept drawing a blank. He knelt down, going to examine Fred first. That’s when Foxy noticed something shiny poking out from the gaps between Freddy’s suit.

“Cap’n…” Foxy commented, pointing at the Freddy’s hip.

The bear looked down and found Mr. Fazbear original set of keys that Fred had stolen before their first night of being active. “When did…” The puzzle pieces started coming together and Freddy growled in frustration, throwing the keys to the ground. “Damn it…I must have released the Toys during the night, and they got damaged when they went after Mike.”

“How though? Mike doesn’t have any weapons in here…” Bonnie said. He trailed off at the end when an idea struck him. He decided to put the thought at the back of his mind for now.

Freddy examined Fred, noticing a sizable dent in his head. The size was a bit too big to be a bat or something…The bear leaned closer, turning his arm as he did when he realized something. The dent matched the size of his arm. He let out another distressed breath before standing. “It was me…I must have hit them…”

“No, Cap’n…” Foxy quickly went to correct. “The kid did that. Not you.”

“Can we fix them?” Chica questioned.

“We can try.” Freddy went to pick up Fred, slinging one of the younger bear’s arms over his shoulders. “Everyone, help carry one of them to the showroom. We can try and figure out what got damaged in there where there is more room.”

The others went to pick up their counterparts, carefully dragging them in the showroom. Freddy placed Fred down, trying to keep him sitting up as he started to remove the suit.

“We need to check their endoskeletons. Careful everyone.” It didn’t take long before each Toy was missing their masks and parts of their suit so they could check the endoskeleton’s head and upper body. There was silence as Freddy took the reins and checked out the damage.

“Will they be okay?” Chica asked after a moment.

“I think so.” Freddy carefully turned one endoskeleton head to the side. “They are dented, but I don’t think anything important got damaged.”

“Then why aren’t they waking up?” Bonnie questioned.

“I don’t know…” Freddy let out a frustrated groan when the answer didn’t show up clearly. “Damn it. There has to be a solution…They look just fine, but it’s hard to tell why they didn’t just get back up after a bit.”

Bonnie sighed, leaning down to examine Bon-Bon. He tried flipping the switch that kept them activated on and off, but Bon-Bon didn’t budge. “I hope they are okay…”

An idea struck Foxy and he tapped Freddy on the shoulder. “Cap’n? Didn’t the Toys say that the Puppet woke them up?”

“That’s right. Nick was the one who did that.” Freddy looked back over at Fred’s endoskeleton. He too tried to hit the switch off and on again, but nothing was happening. He thought about Nick/Puppet. “Puppet most likely just used his powers to wake them up. After all, he is still a kid and I doubt Nick knows the details about how we work and what keeps us going.”

Bonnie nodded. “I see…so Nick used his powers to wake them up and that means…that means…yeaaaah, I actually don’t get where you’re going with that.”

“That means they were only active these past few days because of Nick, not what makes up our endoskeletons. The Toys have been deactivated for a long time. Remember when we were deactivated back at the old restaurant? It took us forever to work properly again. With the Toys being deactivated for so long and probably being damaged during the move here, it could only mean they have been too damaged to stay active since the beginning, but none of us noticed because of Nick’s powers.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Bonnie cast a glance at Bon-Bon. “So why are Nick’s powers not effecting them now?”

“Well last night Nick sure did seem confident that Mike would…well that he would accomplish his goals and get to Mike. So, the Toys getting hit in the head last night and Nick probably thinking he didn’t need them anymore just made them go back to the state they were in before. Broken animatronics that Mr. Fazbear never bothered to get fixed.”

“So, is there anything we can do then?” Chica questioned. “I doubt we can just go to Nick and ask him to wake them back up again?”

Freddy shook his head. “Yeah, that’s definitely not going to happen any time soon.” He thought it over. “It’s not a guarantee, but we could scavenge through the old boxes in the basement. If the Toys were dumped down there when we first moved here, maybe some of their spare parts are there too.”

“You honestly think we can repair them?” Foxy questioned.

“It’s a long shot. Especially if they don’t have any spare parts down there. And I doubt our own spare parts will be compatible with them, but we can’t just leave them like this. Not again.”

Bonnie grinned. “Yeah, we finally got our younger siblings back, and I for one am not going to let them rot away like this again!” He carefully replaced Bon-Bon’s suit before stepping away. “Come on! Let’s go!”

Freddy shook his head in amusement at Bonnie’s sudden rise in energy before fixing up Fred’s suit and. He saw Chica do the same with Chicky and Foxy replace Mangle’s mask before the three stood up next. “Bonnie’s got the right idea. We got time with the place closed for the day. Let’s try and save our family.”

“Yeah!” Chica jumped in joy. Foxy rolled his eyes before nodding as well.

“Yeah, I be up to the challenge.”

Freddy smiled fondly, watching the two head out. He cast a glance at the Toys, frowning when he noticed the dent on Fred’s head again. He tried to push back the guilt before stepping away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There we go! Another one down! More important things is going to becoming. Some of them are going to be things that not even those who read my old version of this story will know about. I won't lie, the new things shouldn't change the overarching story, but they are new things that just make things flow better and some stuff I wish I added in with the old version that I never did. Anyways, rambling is over now. 
> 
> Please leave a comment and kudos. I would really appreciate it!


	8. Day Off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone is taking a day off, but that doesn't mean it is a time to relax as everyone must try and get through the day without breaking down.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! New chapter! Hope you all enjoy. I'm particularly happy with this chapter because it is probably one of the biggest differences from my original version of the old Facing the Past story. So if you are one of my returning readers, which I do know there is quite a few of you out there reading this one, I hope you enjoy this change. 
> 
> Also, I've been asked this question more than once, so I am just going to answer it right here for anyone else who may ask. There are those wondering if the ending will be the same or not. I will say that the general idea of the ending will be the same. I will not go into spoiler territory, but those who know the ending of the old version will hopefully remember how it generally went. The end result should be about the same. However, it is how I get to that ending that will change a lot. There will definitely be similarities, but I want to improve on that ending since I never really cared for it, even when I originally wrote it back in 2015. So short answer is, yes it will change, but not in a dramatic way and hopefully, everything that is different will be for the better.

Mike groaned in pain as Mr. Fazbear drove over a bump in the road.

“Sorry, son,” the old man commented, casting a glance at his employee from the review mirror.

Mike didn’t respond, just focused on keeping his leg and ankle as still as possible. He frowned when he noticed his blood seep out from the poorly done bandages wrapped around his ankle done by Bonnie. The blood trickled out and stained the backseat of Mr. Fazbear’s car.

The guard shifted his gaze over at his boss who was keeping quiet again as they drove through the town. The young man hesitated before speaking. “I’m sorry…”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Mr. Fazbear responded instantly, slowing down to a stoplight. 

“I’m…uh…getting blood on your car?” Mike ended up speaking his reply as more of a question then a statement. To be honest, it wasn’t all he wanted to say to the old man, but it was what ended up slipping out first.

“Pfft, that? Please, I know how to clean up a few blood stains.” Mr. Fazbear groaned and leaned back when the light didn’t look to change to green anytime soon. “You just relax. You’ll be in the hospital soon.”

“Thanks…” Mike went quiet after that despite his racing thoughts. Mr. Fazbear also took that as their conversation being over and went back to putting all his attention on driving again. Mike didn’t really like the intense quiet going through the car, but he just had trouble collecting all his thoughts. Everything moved on in a blur to him after his foot was shoved inside the spare Freddy suit and now so many things were going through his head that the poor guard just didn’t know what to say or if he should say any of it at all.

“So?” to Mike’s shock, Mr. Fazbear broke the silence first. Mike looked at him expectantly as he waited for the old man to continue. “Are you making any progress in your grand plan to save the animatronics?”

It wasn’t a question Mike expected, especially not from the usual grumpy Mr. Fazbear. “I…I’m learning a lot,” he ended up replying. 

“Oh yeah? Like what?” Mr. Fazbear turned down a road to their left before taking a peek at Mike from the mirror again. “I know you know about the poor kid who died outside my diner. What else?”

“…” Mike hesitated before shifting in his spot a little. “I know about you moving everything to the new location, the one before the current location I’m guessing. I know about what happened when Bonnie first woke up and met Freddy, Fredbear and Spring. And…” Mike gulped, not knowing how the old man would react to the next reveal of where he was at in the story. “I know about Daniel.”

“…” Mr. Fazbear was quiet, but his expression didn’t change. Though Mike did notice his hands on the steering wheel went just a tad bit tighter. “How much do you know about him?”

“I know…I know he’s your nephew. I also know he had bad mood swings when he worked for you.”

“Anything else?”

“Um…we-well…”

“It’s okay, Mike. There is nothing you could say about Daniel that I won’t be prepared for.”

“Well, this is just speculation, but…” Mike made sure to lock his gaze on Mr. Fazbear’s from the reflection he caught in the mirror. “Freddy told me he had a suspicion that Daniel was the one who killed Nick…the little boy from the diner.”

Mr. Fazbear didn’t show any visible reactions. The most his face changed up was when he saw another stoplight they had to slow down for. “That all?” he ended up asking.

“Is there more I should know?”

His boss let out a huff as he decided there was enough time to turn his head to look over at Mike while they were temporarily stopped. “I’ll leave that up to Freddy and Bonnie. I’m sure those two can give you all the details you want.”

“But you know everything too,” Mike risked bringing up as his boss turned back to the road. “More in fact, since you know probably more about Daniel then any of the animatronics do. Don’t I have a right to know more about him?”

“No, you don’t…” Mr. Fazbear narrowed his eyes at the road.

“I-what?”

Mr. Fazbear’s grip tightened again on the wheel. “I said you don’t have a right to know, Michael.”

“Wha…” Anger instantly boiled up in the guard as he shifted up in a proper sitting position, only stopping when he risked moving his ankle. “Yes, I do! If I am going to properly help the animatronics and in turn _your_ restaurant, I will need to know every little detail as possible, that includes Daniel! Especially if he really is Nick’s killer! You can’t cover for him just because he is your nephew!”

Mike paused to see if his boss would reply but when he didn’t, Mike continued.

“That’s it, isn’t it!? That’s why you won’t tell me more! Because you don’t want me to find out the whole truth and make sure Daniel gets put where he belongs, in _jail!_ I know you’ve been keeping him from going to jail! But news flash, Mr. Fazbear, if your nephew really did do something that terrible, I will find out! People’s lives are at stake and it could all be because of him! And you know it, don’t you!?”

Another pause to let the old man speak up, but there was no reply and Mike boiled up in more anger.

“A kid _died_ because of him! Innocent workers are being slaughtered at night because of him! I got my own goddamn ankle _crushed_ because of him! All this bullshit is because of him! And you won’t tell me because you just want to keep your family member out of jail and to save your own damn restaurant, right!?”

The car suddenly slammed to a stop, Mr. Fazbear pulling over to the side. Mike felt his body lunge forward, thankful to the seatbelt that held him somewhat in place. The same couldn’t be said for his broken foot however as it flew off the spot it rested on and hit the back of the passenger’s seat. Mike screamed in agony as shockwaves of pain went through his body and he curled up in a vain attempt to dull the ache.

Mr. Fazbear either ignored the cries of pain from his employee or didn’t care as he put his car in park and turned in his seat to give a dark look at the teary eyed young man.

“You listen to me, you little shit! I said you don’t have a right to know because you _don’t_! _You_ are the one who decided to start sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong! _You_ are the one who thought you could save everyone and make everything go back to how it was. Well news flash, Michael, but you can’t! You can’t save them, Mike, and you want to know why? Because this isn’t _your_ business to be getting involved in. You were hired as a _nightguard!_ Not a goddamn private detective! The only thing you have the rights to do around _my_ restaurant is to make sure those damn animatronics don’t escape and that no one breaks in! That’s it! Nothing more! Nothing less!”

Mike was biting back the pain as he glared back at his boss. “People are dying, Mr. Fazbear! The animatronics are suffering! Don’t you even care!”

“Of course, I care people are dying, but I sure as heck don’t care about those damn monsters that are doing the killing!”

“Freddy and the others aren’t the monsters! You and your damn nephew are!”

Mr. Fazbear leaned forward and grabbed Mike by his collar. “Don’t you fucking call me a monster, you piece of shit! You don’t know the lengths I’ve gone for my business. The things I’ve done for the people who work for me! You don’t know what I put up with thanks to those animatronics, like that goddamn Fredbear!”

“I…” Mike was taken aback by the name drop of Freddy’s oldest brother. But Fredbear never took part in the killing of the nightguards, right? At least not from how Mike was getting at the story. As far as Mike knew it was only the main four and the Toys in the past. Never Golden. So why mention him? “I…what?”

Mr. Fazbear’s eyes widened when he realized what name he said and he let go of Mike and turned around. Mike leaned up in his seat, holding himself up by the back of Mr. Fazbear’s seat to look at the man. The old man had his head hung low, but Mike could still see the fresh set of tears building up in his eyes.

“Mr. Fazbear?”

The man sniffled, rubbing his eyes. There was a moment of deep silence before he turned back to the wheel, keeping his back to the guard. “Let’s just get you back to the hospital.”

“Mr. Fazbear? I…why did-?”

“That’s enough boy. You really need to learn to turn off that curiosity of yours.”

Mike leaned back in his seat, never taking his eyes off the back of Mr. Fazbear’s head. “I’m going to find out the whole truth…” he said after a moment.

There was a deep sigh as a response to what Mike said before Mr. Fazbear started the car back up. “Yes, I suppose you will eventually. But I’m not going to be the one to tell you anything. I…” he lowered his head. “I just can’t go through all that again, Mike. Please…please try and understand.”

There were so many questions Mike wanted answered. Some he doubted Freddy, or the others would be able to tell him. These were things only Mr. Fazbear could tell him, but Mike knew he probably would never get the old man to talk. So, he just settled back in his spot, turning his eyes to his ankle, seeing it was in a decent position until they got to the hospital at least. “I don’t understand…” he finally responded. “But I’ll drop it for now…”

“…I suppose that’s the best I could ask for.” Mr. Fazbear turned away from their parking spot and the two went back to their silence.

 

* * *

 

 

Freddy let out an amused laugh as he saw Bonnie messing with the contents of a random box, throwing things behind him when he deemed them unnecessary.

“Could you be anymore destructive?” the bear asked as he picked up a picture frame that cracked as it hit the ground, it was void of any picture, so Freddy just shrugged it off and placed it back on the ground.

“I mean, yeah. You want me to?” Bonnie asked with a smirk.

“No, I really don’t. Find anything?”

“Not yet.” Bonnie shuffled a few more things around in the box. “Just some old props and other junk in this box and-whoa!”

Freddy perked up when Bonnie suddenly dived head first in the box, before popping back up and grinning widely. “What is-?”

“My old juggling ball set!” Bonnie announced, showing the three multicolored balls to his brother.

Freddy groaned and rolled his eyes. “Not those…I thought we lost them in the move.”

Bonnie smirked and instantly started to juggle them with ease. “You’re just jealous because I know how to juggle now, and you still don’t.”

“No, that is not the case…” Freddy glared in annoyance at the rabbit before lifting a paw and smacking one of the balls away.

“Hey! Sabotage!” Bonnie cried out, glaring at the bear. “Jerk!”

“Just get back to work.” Freddy walked away to check on Foxy’s progress.

Bonnie deepened his voice to mimic Freddy’s, “Just get back to work, bleh!”

“I heard that.”

Bonnie unashamedly flipped Freddy off before turning back to an unopened box.

Foxy and Chica tag teamed looking over at the opposite side of Bonnie, the two being much more careful with what they were pulling out and placing to the side compared to the rabbit, which Freddy was grateful for.

“How’s it going you two?”

“Great!” Chica said with a smile. “We actually found a few of the Toys old spare suits. No parts for their endoskeletons yet, but this should be a good sign, right?”

Freddy beamed at the news. “Yeah, that is great.” He leaned down and saw a pile of different parts that would replace parts of the Toy’s suits in case of damage. There were mostly for Mangle, most likely the parts that were never replaced during Mangle’s take apart and put back together attraction days. Freddy frowned when he remembered how the poor fox would have to be subjugated to that everyday and would end up more damaged as the weeks went by. “You know…” he spoke after a moment, catching Foxy and Chica’s attention. “Maybe we can take this time to fix Mangle up a bit. Maybe fix up their voice box too if we are lucky.”

“That be a great idea!” Foxy said with a smile. “If we find anything for them, we’ll let you know, Cap’n.”

“Great. Know I can count on you.” He gave them a smile before carefully returning the bits of Mangle’s suit to the ground. “I’m going to check the corner over there.”

“Got it, Cap’n!”

Freddy went over to the corner where there weren’t many boxes, but still worth a look. They were mostly hidden by an old cutout of the band that used to be up at the main floor, but a kid spilled juice on the cardboard and the cleanup crew just tossed it down here instead of throwing it away. Freddy frowned at the old worn out picture of him and his siblings, seeing it was growing mold now. “I’ll just toss it out back to the dumpster…” he decided, grabbing the edge and pulling it back.

Freddy wasn’t expecting a lot of things at that moment, and he especially wasn’t expecting to see a faded yellow arm plop down with a dull thud as he moved the cardboard cutout away. He jumped back, slightly shocked by the noise before his gaze locked onto a sight he was not expecting.

Golden’s suit sat on the ground, head hung low and mouth stuck open. His eyeless gaze was stuck to permanently look at the ground with nothing to support his head up and his arms were lifeless at his sides. Freddy’s own body tensed up as he took in the appearance of the yellow bear.

Fredbear’s once vibrant and practically glowing golden hue was faded immensely. Now dirty and ragged, with even patches of the fur missing. His hat that was once a nice dark purple was now black from the grime that built up, same with his bowtie. It was obvious that Golden’s suit has seen better days. There was also a very obvious odor that emanated from the suit that even the animatronic could pick up on. A few bugs crawled about, resting against the belly of Golden’s suit.

Freddy glared at the insects, swiping at them to go away before turning his distress look at the bear. “Hey, brother.”

There was no response, obviously. The suit has laid motionless for ages now and Freddy knew there was just no way Golden could ever speak again. His mind wondered to the previous night when Mike claimed he saw Golden in his office, but the bear still had trouble believing that. Especially now, after seeing the state his brother was in now. Just a poor shell of his former glory.

He was just about to step back, unable to look at the older bear any longer when he noticed something hunched over even farther in the corner, hidden by a few more boxes. Freddy’s eyes widened when he noticed it was Spring.

Spring Bonnie’s body was bent over on the ground, almost completely hidden from sight. Spring was in a similar state as Golden was. His fur was always a darker yellow that the bear’s, but Spring’s now was a grimy green color. Many parts of his suit were ripped up and the upper part of his right ear was missing entirely, as well as the purple bowtie he would always purposely keep tilted just because it would annoy Fredbear. Freddy almost turned away from Spring too, unable to face the distressing look of his beloved older brothers when he caught a glimpse at Spring’s eyes, and was shocked to see he actually saw the fake eyes that were barely hidden by his eyelids. Curious, Freddy cautiously stepped over Golden’s legs, pulled back the boxes that kept the two oldest animatronics apart and leaned closer.

He lifted up Spring’s head and pulled an eyelid and sure enough, Freddy was left staring at the eyes of the old animatronic. They were once a bright green, about the same shade as Toy Bonnie’s eyes, but now they were lacking in the color completely, just a dark hue of grey. Now even curiouser, Freddy peeked through some of the gaps in Spring’s suit and was in awe when he noticed the old and out of date endoskeleton still inside.

“He’s not missing his endoskeleton like Fredbear…” Freddy concluded. His hands moved on their own before he could think of the repercussions of his actions and he instantly sought out the switch at the back of Spring’s head. He flipped it on and waited. He waited and prayed for any movement any sign of life from the old robotic rabbit. Anything! But after minutes of waiting, nothing happened. Spring never even moved an inch or let out any noise.

Freddy desperately lifted Spring’s head to make the rabbit look at him in the eye. “Spring? Please, can you hear me? I need to know?!”

No response.

Freddy felt his tears form in his eyes as he tried flipping the switch off and on again, like he did with the Toys earlier. But it never changed a thing. Freddy felt his hopes be crushed as he hit the switch again, turning the animatronic off for good. He then carefully replaced Spring on the ground before stepping back with a shaking breath.

He felt a paw instantly rest on his shoulders and jumped in fright. Bonnie stood behind him, eyes looking past the brown bear and at the two faded yellow animatronics.

“I thought…I thought maybe he would wake up…” Freddy said dejectedly.

“I know…” Bonnie let out a shaky sigh, his own tears threatening to fall out. He hesitantly stepped forward. Freddy first thought he was going to step up to Fredbear or Spring, but Bonnie just ignored the two and wordlessly grabbed on of the two boxes that were between the broken two on the ground. “We should…we should check these boxes out…”

Freddy sympathetically watched Bonnie walk a good distance away before he sat on the ground and started going through the contents of the box. The brown bear then let his shoulders fall down before he too grabbed the final box and went to join Bonnie’s side.

Foxy and Chica meanwhile watched from the sidelines, keeping quiet for the two, not wanting to disturb them. When they had their backs turned away from them, Foxy and Chica decided to return to their task silently, only sharing a quick look with each other.

 

* * *

 

 

“You’re very lucky, Mr. Schmidt,” a doctor said to him as he smiled at the young man. “You got here just in time. Waited to long and I’m not too sure what state your foot would have been in. What did you say happened again?”

“An accident in the workplace,” Mike answered. He spared a glance at his boss who sat quietly at the side of the room. “I work at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizza and was fixing the animatronics when I stepped where I shouldn’t. Haha.”

It was the story he and Mr. Fazbear agreed upon as they arrived at the restaurant. They decided to keep it as far from the truth while still having some things that could be believable.

“Oh, you two work there? My little girl loves that place so much,” the doctor explained with a smile.

“I run it.” Mr. Fazbear offered a kind smile, the same kind of smile that he had given Mike when he first started working there in the beginning of the week. Now only did the guard noticed how fake it was.

A thought accord to Mike as he watched the doctor and his boss exchanged a quick conversation. _Man, it hasn’t even been a full week of working there and yet it feels like so much as happened._

“You should definitely bring your daughter around for her birthday next week!” Mr. Fazbear said with a laugh. “I’ll make sure Freddy and the others have a special birthday song just for her!”

“You know, I bet she would love that!” the doctor agreed.

Mike smiled as he listened. “Which animatronic is your daughter’s favorite?”

“Hmm? Oh, I think she likes the rabbit. What has his name?”

“Bonnie. Bonnie the Bunny,” Mike answered. “I can make sure Bonnie says a special message for her.”

“Really? They do that?” the doctor looked shocked as he adjusted the clipboard in his arms.

“Oh yeah. They all can do many cool things.”

“Well thank you, Mr. Schmidt. And you too Mr. Fazbear. I appreciate it.”

Mr. Fazbear beamed at him. “Of course! I would do anything for the kiddos.”

Mike had an idea and he smirked as he decided to test it out. “And we can even have Foxy the Pirate perform for her too!”

“Foxy?”

Mr. Fazbear went silent instantly, glaring at the guard as the doctor turned his back to him.

“Yeah! He’s part of Pirate’s Cove! He was always my favorite growing up.”

“Interesting, I don’t think I ever heard of that one.”

“It’s because he’s closed down,” Mr. Fazbear jumped in.

Mike ignored the intense look from his boss as he continued to friendly smile at his doctor. “But we can get him up and running again just in time for your daughter’s birthday! Right Mr. Fazbear?”

The doctor and the guard both looked at the old man expectantly, Mike making sure to give a shit-eating grin as he did so. Mr. Fazbear kept his angry glare locked on Mike as he answered with a forced smile. “Of course, we can…”

“Great!” Mike laughed. “I know your daughter will just love him. Foxy is great with kids.”

“Sounds fun,” the doctor didn’t seem to be none the wiser to the tense air between the employee and his boss before looking back at the charts. “Now back to business, Mr. Schmidt, I’m afraid you are going to need surgery. You will be scheduled for tomorrow morning, so you’ll have to stay overnight.”

“I see…” Mike frowned, feeling a wave a nerves build up at the mention of surgery.

“No need to worry. It’s a simple procedure, nothing to be nervous about. Now, I do need to step out for a moment, but the nurses will be right here if you need anything. Do you have any questions that need answering before I go?”

_Oh I have questions, just not for you…_ Mike thought sarcastically, shoot another look at his boss before smiling at his doctor and shaking his head. “Nope. Can’t say that I have. Thank you so much.”

“Not at all. I’ll be back later. Rest up, okay?” The doctor left, leaving Mike alone with Mr. Fazbear.

When they were alone, Mr. Fazbear let out a gruff noise. “You really like to think you run the shots around my restaurant, don’t you boy?”

“There is nothing wrong with the idea of Foxy entertaining the kids. Heck, I’ll personally fix up the cove and Foxy if that solves anything.”

Mr. Fazbear rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair. “Whatever…you just need to learn your boundaries, kid.”

Mike scoffed, looking annoyed. “You know, you don’t have to be here?  I can handle the rest on my own.”

“Oh, I plan on leaving later. But I’m sticking around to make sure you don’t mess up the story.”

“Jeez, you are such a cranky old man…” Mike commented, crossing his arms.

“Well sorry that you have to put up with this ‘cranky old man,’ but it’s not my fault you are in this mess…”

“You’re the one who hired me, so it kind of is…” Mike muttered before he could stop himself.

“Oh, what was that, Schmidt? I don’t think your cranky _boss_ heard that?!”

Mike scoffed, not caring. “You’re not going to fire me…”

“You really want to test that theory?” Mr. Fazbear stood from his seat and marched to the man. “You know, you have a real good talent at pissing me off.”

“Oh wow, that has to be the nicest thing you ever said to me…” Mike shot him a look. “You know you were a lot kinder when I was a kid.”

Mr. Fazbear gave him a look before shaking his head. “What?”

Mike rolled his eyes. “When I was a kid,” he explained again. “You acted nice to me then. Guess the years just turned you into an old grump…or maybe you were always like that and just good at acting.”

“What the hell are you talking about now?”

Mike studied the man’s face before realization struck him. “You don’t remember me, do you?”

“How could I forget a pain in the ass like you?”

“Mike Schmidt…you are telling me my name doesn’t ring a bell at all?”

“I’ve met a lot of people Mike. Met a lot of kids. Sorry if I don’t remember seeing you when you were a child…” Mr. Fazbear turned back to his seat and sat down with a groan.

“You and the animatronics saved me from my abusive dad.”

Mr. Fazbear’s eyes widened when he heard that, and a flood of memories came rushing back. He looked at his guard in disbelief, completely thrown off by the revelation. “That was…that was you?”

“So, you do remember me?” Mike rolled his eyes and leaned back on the cushioned bed. “Yeah, that was me. You know that day really made me love the restaurant. Made me love the animatronics. I felt safe there. I felt welcomed there. And I know you may not believe me, but I still feel like that when I go there today.”

Mr. Fazbear kept his focus on Mike as the guard reminisced.

“After that day, Granny would let me visit the animatronics all the time, because she knew how much they meant to me. They ended up like a second family to me. They looked after me like I was one of them. It wasn’t just because I was another kid or that I would show up at least once a week. No, it was because I was their Mikey. I knew that there was no amount of coding in their A.I.s that could make them treat me like that. Everything they ever did for me was real, not something in their program that forced them to do it. Real love. Real affection.”

Despite the tension between the two, Mike smiled at Mr. Fazbear warmly. “I know you hate them, but I have to thank you for having them around. If it weren’t for them, I feel like my childhood would have been a lot shittier than it was. I got to have a big family in the end, even after my mom passed away. In a way, it is because of you. So, thanks, I guess.”

“I…” Mr. Fazbear sighed, lowering his guard down as he sank in his seat. “I understand how you feel…”

“You do?”

“You think I don’t know how smart those machines are?” Mr. Fazbear laughed. “Hell, I could tell since day one when Fredbear and Spring were first made. Those two had a personality that couldn’t just be programed. Fredbear was always the sensible one. He was calm and also focused. Smart and determined. He was a good guy. Not a machine, not just some random animatronic. He was as human as you and me. And Spring…heh, that guy was the troublemaker. Before Freddy came along, he would play pranks on Fredbear, get in fights, nothing physical, all verbal, but I feel like he would throw a punch or two if the moment came. Yet he had a big heart. Bigger than Fredbear’s if I dare say so, and Fredbear had a big heart already.”

Mike stared at his boss in awe, not expecting the pleasant smile that graced his features as he remembered a time long ago.

“Heh, those two always knew how to lighten up a room. The kids loved them. Haha, you should have seen my son one day. He-.” Mr. Fazbear instantly went still, eyes widening in horror at what he revealed.

“Son?”

The man didn’t respond. His body moved mechanically as he stood up.

“You have a son?” Mike tried to sit up more but struggled. He watched helplessly as Mr. Fazbear started gathering his coat. “Wait! Mr. Fazbear! Wait!” His boss went to the doorway, stopping as he heard Mike call out to him one more time.

“Forget you heard that, Michael…” That was all he said before he walked out the door, shutting it tightly behind him.

Mike was left alone in the hospital room, staring at the door where Mr. Fazbear once stood and trying to process the new bit of information he gained. A new and confusing piece of the puzzle seemed to have revealed itself, but Mike had no clue where to put it.

 

* * *

 

 

Bonnie sighed tiredly as he packed up the rest of the useless items in the boxes and replaced them to the side of the basement. “That’s the last of it…”

“What did you all find?” Freddy questioned, looking at the others.

“Not much,” Chica admitted dejectedly. “But there were a few replacement parts for their endoskeleton models. Maybe it can help?”

Freddy eyed the pile of metal and wires next to the chicken. “It’s worth a shot. Come on, let’s try and repair them.”

He scooped up a few of the items on the ground before making his way out of the basement. The others did the same. Bonnie was the last to pick up the remaining bits of endoskeleton parts before he too started to walk out. He stopped at the door, casting a glance down the dark basement, just barely making out the corner where his older brothers sat motionlessly. He bit back the urge to run to them before shutting the door and blocking the sight from view.

The main four made it to the showroom where the Toys still sat at the stage, their eyes shut tightly. Freddy instantly went to work, going to Fred and removing his mask and upper suit again. He shuffled around the endoskeleton, noticing the broken pieces of machinery at the head of the endoskeleton.

“For Fred, the disk for his memory and A.I. is fine, but everything else is damaged. Probably from the hit in the head.” He moved to check over Mangle next, seeing similar damage. “No wonder they won’t wake up. Their power system won’t work under these conditions.”

“Same over here for them,” Bonnie commented, looking over Chicky and Bon-Bon. “Anything in the pile for that?”

“I’ll look,” Foxy stated, searching for anything that could work.

As the fox did that, Freddy gestured for Chica to come closer. “Chica, help me with Mangle. Their endoskeleton is so twisted, I’m going to need some help laying them out properly.”

“Got it,” she replied, stepping over and started to help untangle the pink and white fox.

“Cap’n!” Foxy commented, stepping over with different spare parts in his grip. “Try these.”

Freddy shuffled through them before grabbing a few. He then told Foxy to take some to Bonnie before moving back to the two Toys he looked after. “Bonnie, make sure to check their chests too. Most of their main power structure should be hidden in there.”

“I know, I know…I’m kind of an animatronic too, ya know.”

Freddy chuckled and shook his head. “How could I forget.”

Bonnie grinned from his spot. “I always said I was the smart one.”

“No,” Freddy grabbed at a broken bit of Fred’s endoskeleton. “No, you are not.”

“Rude!”

The conversation died down after that, and the four went silent as they carefully started to fix the Toys. They would test spare part after spare part in hopes that it would be enough to work. Some pieces would fit in place with ease, while others proved to be a struggle. In the end, a few hours went by before the Toys were slowly being redressed in their suits and masks. Chica being the one to give Mangle a bit more of their original suit. The fox was still mostly bare, but now they had the chest piece of their suit returned and their left arm returned.

“Do you think that was enough?” Chica asked hopefully.

“All we can do now is test them out.” Freddy leaned over to Fred and the others went to their respected counterparts as well. Freddy looked over at his band mates before all four switched the Toys back on. They backed up, keeping quiet as they waited patiently.

They stood there for a solid minute, ready to spot any sign of movement. Yet the Toys did not budge. The original four waited another minute. Still nothing from the Toys. Freddy took in a breath, praying in his mind for anything, any form of luck for them that their youngest siblings would wake up. Anything! Yet, like what happened earlier with Spring, Freddy feared they would not see any improvement to the Toys.

Slowly, each of the original four slowly sunk their shoulders down in defeat when more time passed on with no luck. They exchanged silent looks, before turning away together.

“We did all we could…” Freddy started to speak to the others.

“I really thought we could save them…” Foxy spoke, ears pinning down in frustration.

“What now?” Bonnie asked.

“…” Freddy turned back to look at the Toys before sighing. “I…I suppose we should-.”

There was a whirring noise that suddenly blasted out from behind the four. Each one perked up and practically ran to the Toys as they waited.

Mangle was the first to let out a twitch, their arm flinching up before falling back down. Their golden and black eyes blinked open a few times before they settled on the older four. There was a beat of silence between them before Mangle tried to speak, their voice box still badly damaged.

“Gu-gu-guuuuuuysssssssssss….?”

“Mangle!” The four cried together, running to the fox and hugging them tightly.

Mangle smiled happily at the affection, nuzzling their head under Chica’s wings. There was a groan to their side, and all turned to see Fred slowly sitting up, rubbing his paw over his forehead. “Damn…what happened?”

Freddy laughed in joy as he stepped to the younger bear and placed a paw to his shoulders. “Hey, little brother!” He leaned down and hugged the Toy leader tightly, much to Fred’s confusion.

“Uh…hey?” He pulled back. “Not that I mind a hug, but what’s going on?”

“You guys were damaged during the night. I…I was possessed, and I think I may have hurt you…”

“The kid hurt you,” Bonnie corrected, stepping over and also going to hug Fred. “We worked for like hours trying to think of a way to fix you guys.”

Chicky let out a groan and they turned to see her slowly wake up. Chica instantly ran to her, tackling her in a hug. “Chicky!”

“Whoa!” Chicky tried to brace herself but failed and the two chickens tumbled to the ground, much to the younger one’s annoyance. “Chica, honey, I love you, but get off me…”

“Sorry, hehe.”

Bon-Bon blinked his eyes open finally, opening them just in time to see the chickens fall. He tilted his head in confusion before looking over at the others. “Uh, did I miss something?”

Fred slowly stood up, going to adjust his hat and frowned when he couldn’t find it. He turned around, trying to find it as he answered. “Apparently we were damaged at night and…where is my hat?”

“Oh, it may have fallen off in the office,” Freddy stood next. “I can go look for it.”

“In the office?” Fred’s furrowed his brows. “We actually escaped last night?”

“Well…” Freddy rubbing the back of his head nervously. “I somehow got Mr. Fazbear’s original set of keys, the ones you had to lock yourselves in the basement and let you guys out. You all just walked out on your own then.”

“Wait!?” Bon-Bon nervously looked down at his suit, looking for something that didn’t seem to be there. “No blood…” he could barely be heard whispering. He desperately looked at the others, eyes glistening with tears. “We…we didn’t-? Mike he’s-?”

“Mike is fine,” Freddy quickly answered. “He…he did get hurt last night, but none of you were the cause.”

“He got hurt!?” Chicky spoke up, her wings rushing to her beak. “What happened?”

Freddy went to answer before the others could, but Bonnie beat him to it, the rabbit’s ears pinning down in anger and shame. “We almost stuffed him in a suit…his foot got caught in, but thankfully before anything else got damaged six hit and we were able to push away the kids and regain control.”

“Where is he now?”

“Mr. Fazbear took him to the hospital. He also closed down the restaurant for the day. Why we have the place to ourselves.”

“But…but Mike is going to be fine, right?” Bon-Bon asked. “And you sure we…” he looked down at his suit again in fear, scared to find even the slightest hint of blood on his fur. “We…we really didn’t do anything to him, right?”

“No, Bon…” Bonnie spoke to his counterpart, patting him on the back. “You didn’t. And your fur is clean, I swear. No need to be scared.”

Bon-Bon unintentionally curled his body up slightly, as he leaned against the purple rabbit. “Okay…” he whispered.

Fred cast a sympathetic look to Bon-Bon, knowing how scared he must have been when he thought there was a chance, they had hurt Mike too, but he decided to let Bonnie be the one to comfort him for now. After all, the older rabbit would be better at that then he would. He instead, checked over his body, still seeing the large gash in his suit from Foxy’s attack the other night, but nothing else to cause alarm.

“So, we were really badly damaged that you needed to repair us?”

“Yeah,” Freddy answered. “We think you guys always been damaged, but thanks to Nick…the Puppet’s magic you guys were active during these past few days.”

Fred frowned, troubled, as he remembered watching the Puppet fuse his magic in his siblings and could only assume the same process was done to him. “Yeah, I suppose that makes sense.”

“But now,” Foxy started in triumph, trying to clear the tense air around them all, “you all be working on your own. No more of that demon’s magic flowing through you all.”

“Well, I suppose that is a plus,” Fred stated with a grin. “Speaking of Puppet, where is he? I’m sure he wasn’t happy when the time ran out for him last night.”

“The brat ran off when we regained control,” Bonnie spoke up. “Guess he didn’t want to stay around when he was outnumbered.”

“I see…”

“So, by the way?” Chicky popped in, gaining everyone’s attention. “I’m glad we are all okay and Mike is too, maybe with some minor injuries, unfortunately, but…but what now exactly?”

“What now?” Freddy questioned her.

“I mean, with us for example?” Chicky gestured between her and the other Toys. “It’s kinda bugging me that we just got loose so easily the night before. What about the next night when Mike comes in?”

“Thank you!” Bonnie said, turning a serious look over at Foxy who instantly glared back. “See? I’m not the only one who wants to think ahead!”

“I don’t know what you are implying, but…” Foxy started, but Freddy instantly stepped between the two.

“Enough. I am not going to have you two fight again. Understand?”

“He be the one to start it…” Foxy huffed, crossing his arms.

“I’m just stating facts here! Chicky brings up a good point! We need to think about when Mike comes back for his job! For crying out loud, we know how easy it is now for Puppet to just release the Toys at night! And we sure as heck don’t know how to fix their faulty night modes! What’s stopping Puppet from just stealing the keys back or from one of us releasing them when we are possessed!? It’s too risky!”

Foxy growled at the rabbit, starting to march over to the two rabbits, his glare focused on Bonnie but making Bon-Bon flinch slightly, not that the blue bunny would admit to it. Bonnie noticed, raised a protective arm across the younger rabbit’s chest before glaring right back at the fox.

“Listen to me, lad,” Foxy started, jabbing a finger in Bonnie’s chest. “I want nothing more than for Mike to be nothing but safe when he returns, but there be nothing we can do to stop this! You know that as well as I! We can’t be locked up! We can’t just have Mike keep the doors closed each night! And we can’t stop _ourselves_ and the Toys long enough for Mike to get to safety! Plus with the Puppet always watching, we have no way to do anything in secret because we,” Foxy instantly backed up as he turned his attention to the ceiling as if Puppet was hiding up there and screamed to both address Bonnie and the possessed Toy animatronic, “ _never know when he be listening to us!”_

Bonnie’s expression didn’t shift as Foxy stated all that. The most reaction he bothered to show the fox was his fists clenching together tightly.

Foxy took in a deep breath he didn’t even need before looking back to Bonnie. “When you and I fought earlier, I be only saying that we got nothing we can do to protect Mike. The only way for Mikey to be completely safe is if he stops working here or if we be freakin’ _dismantled!_ And I doubt any of us would like either of them options! So, unless you have a magic cure to stop demons from taking over us at night and to fix the Toys night modes, then I have nothing more to say to ya, got it?”

“Actually…” Bonnie stood up from his spot, and walked over to Foxy, purposely getting in the fox face challengingly. “I do have a plan.”

“Oh really?” Foxy asked incredulously, raising a brow. “Then please, oh wise rabbit…what be this fantastic plan that will save Mikey, eh?”

“A weapon…” Bonnie stated, backing up and walking over to the stage.

“What?” both bear leaders questioned confused.

“I got the idea last night when we found the Toys passed out in the office. Sure, it wasn’t Mike who attacked them, it was, unfortunately, one of us, but think about it! One good hit to the head and they were out! The same could be done for us too!”

“You want to give Mike a weapon?” Freddy asked in shock. “Bonnie, that is incredibly-.”

“Brilliant because Mike can finally defend himself?”

“Stupid!” Freddy snapped out, turning his stern glare onto his younger brother. “A weapon won’t solve anything. There are too many factors that could come into play. Let’s just think about the idea that Mike actually agrees to this idea and decides to have a weapon with him during the night. You know how easy it was for Puppet to steal _keys_ , what’s to say he won’t steal the weapon and give it to one of us?”

“We’ll make sure that won’t happen. Besides, he stole the keys when the Toys were out of it, of course they won’t going to notice it missing! Mike won’t be like that. He’s going to be on high alert anyways!”

Freddy sighed. “Okay, fine, then let’s say Mike does manage to attack one of us during the night if god forbid, we get in his office again. The kids aren’t affected by our machinery. There is no saying that a few hits to our heads or chests will knock them out too.”

“I’m not asking for Mike to knock us out,” Bonnie explained. “Just distract us, and by that I mean the kids, long enough so he can run away to safety!”

“He can’t even run anymore!” Chica yelled out, tears brimming her eyes. “We got rid of that option this morning, remember!”

“He could be in a wheelchair! Or if not I’m sure we can find something here on wheels he can speed away from! Look, this isn’t foolproof, I know!” Bonnie paced the stage as his frustrations grew. “But poking holes in my plan isn’t doing any good right now!”

“Yes, it is…” Freddy said. “Because if we are going to make a decision like give Mike a weapon then we all have to think about the pros and cons. And I’m afraid the cons are just too risky to deal with. Besides, you are forgetting one thing. What would Mike say to all this?”

“What?”

“You know Mike as well as I do. Do you really think he would raise a weapon against one of us, even if we are possessed at the time?” Freddy stepped over to the stage to be on equal footing with the rabbit. “I know you are thinking of this plan all in order to protect Mike and make sure he survives another night, but in the end, this all comes down to if Mike is willing to do any of this. He wants to protect us as much as we want to protect him. He’s stated that constantly. I’m not Mike, and I could be completely wrong, but I just don’t see him attacking us no matter what state we are in.”

Bonnie went silent as he thought it over. After a brief moment he finally looked back up at the bear, not looking to budge on his idea. “Well I think he would. In a life or death scenario, I’m sure Mike would do anything to stay alive. Even attack one of us if he has to. He’ll hate it, but at least he’ll be alive. And we can always be repaired. Look at the Toys. With minimum spare parts, we were able to wake them back up. And Mr. Fazbear may hate us, but he won’t let his main attractions for his business stay down.”

Freddy sighed, lowering his head. “I guess…I guess we will have to agree to disagree for now…”

“So what?” Bonnie asked, narrowing his eyes at the bear. “Is it a ‘no’ on the weapon idea?”

“I never said that…” Freddy pinched the bridge of his nose as he went quiet to think. “First, we need to find a proper weapon, one that will be easy for Mike to use and _then_ we will need to ask Mike’s opinion and see if he will be willing to put up with this plan.”

“So, we are doing it!?” the purple rabbit asked, ears springing up in shock.

“Let’s call this a, ‘maybe,’ for now. Okay?” Freddy looked at everyone else as he continued on. “The next night Mike comes in will be the hardest one yet. And now, he has a disadvantaged with his broken ankle. All of us will have to try our best for Mike’s sake. And if Bonnie’s plan does come to fruition, then we will have to be prepared for that as well. In the end, all that does matter is Mike’s safety. Are we all in agreement on that?”

All the animatronics nodded in confirmation to that, not showing any signs that they were against what Freddy said.

“Soon, Mike will learn the full truth. And he’ll know all about our dark past. Once that has been completed, it will be up to him and all of us to see if we can really find the solution that has slipped past us for so long. There is a very real possibility we can put an end to all of this. No more possessions, no more faulty night modes, no more of our Puppet master, and no more killings. We have to put our faith in Mike and make any sacrifices for him to do it. If that means we end up badly damaged then I say, so be it! Besides, I know each of us too well to know that none of us will let something like that stop us for good. When one of us goes down the others pick us back up. That’s how we have survived for this long and this is how we are going to get past our situation and give us the peace we deserve!” The animatronics cheered at this, serious and determined looks gracing each of their features. “This is our home! Our restaurant! And we’ll let Nick know this!”

The lights instantly flickered at that. The animatronics gasped, looking at the lights before they quickly stopped the strobing effect and stayed on. The animatronics understood. Nick got the message.

 

* * *

 

 

Puppet’s body teleported into the basement. The body hovered in the air for a brief second, swirls of shadows twisting and turning around as it did, before finally the animatronic fell to the ground with a harsh thud.

Puppet let out a strangled gasp before coughing up spurts of oil. Above his body was the transparent figure of Nick who stared down at the animatronic, his red eyes burning. Puppet coughed again before struggling to look up at the child possessing him.

“Wh-why did you release me?” the animatronic asked, not bothering to hide his nerves.

Nick didn’t answer as he sped over to the corner where Golden’s suit sat. He harshly grabbed the bear by the neck and lifted up the heavy suit with ease. “You think you are so clever, don’t you!?”

There was a brief moment of silence before a feminine voice spoke out. “I don’t know what you mean?”

Nick snarled his teeth at the bear before slamming it to the ground. “Those damn robots are ruining everything! And you know they are! You knew they would do this, and you are going to be all smug about it, aren’t you!?”

“Nick…”

“Shut it!” Tendrils of shadows shot out and pinned the bear’s body to the ground. “People like you…people like those robots…they don’t want to think about how others are suffering…how _we_ are suffering! Sammy…I don’t get it! Why won’t you help us? You were murdered! You were killed, just like me! Just like the others! We have an amazing opportunity and you waste it by staying down here in that stupid rotting suit! You could help us! You have such strong powers! Just like me!” Nick lowered down to be closer to the head of the bear. “Together, we can rule over this place, find our killer and finally be at peace! That’s all I want.”

Sammy hesitated before speaking again through the motionless bear suit. “Your methods are wrong, Nick. The animatronics have had enough. I’m glad they are finally fighting back, because this…all this senseless violence needs to end.”

Nick felt his body shake. “I gave you a second chance! I gave you the gift of life! And this is how you thank me!?”

Sammy didn’t respond this time. Deciding to stay quiet which infuriated Nick more.

“ANSWER ME!”

“ _Nick…_ ” a new voice spoke from the bear, one much deeper, but with a gentleness still. “ _Please think rationally._ ”

“I wasn’t talking to you…I know she’s in there still…she can’t hide from me! Sammy!”

“ _My family fighting against you like this has nothing to do with Sammy. There is no need to get so angry at her.”_

Nick gave a dry laugh at the suit. “Do you think I care if she influenced them or not!? They are still going against me! They act like they are the ones who are suffering. Do they forget I was murdered! Do _you_ forget I was murdered, Golden!? You were there that day!”

“ _And I would give anything to save you if I had known you were in danger!_ ” Golden responded instantly. “ _Nick, the day you died…the day you were killed was a day I could never forget. I’m so sorry for what happened to you. But this…hurting the night guards, hurting my family, my brothers and sisters…this isn’t right, Nick, and you know it!_ ”

Nick felt tears fall from his eyes, but it didn’t quench his anger. “All I want is to get my revenge. Is that so much to ask?”

“ _You’re a good kid, Nick. I know you are. You are hurting and you are suffering. I will never deny that. But there is no reason to take your anger out on the night guards, on my family, on_ Sammy _! All we want to do is help. Just like that new night guard. He wants to help. If you give him a chance, I am sure he can. I believe in him.”_

“You never even met him!”

_“I saw him for a brief moment thanks to Sammy. Plus, Freddy truly trusts him and I always know Freddy has good judgement.”_

“And…and what if this is all a damn lie!? A trick!?” Nick’s tears were flowing faster now as he knowingly grasped at straws. “How do I know he’s not…he’s not…he’s not working for the purple guy or something! Or that he is! I…I can’t…I can’t risk that! I can’t risk having the purple guy get away from me!”

“Nick…” Sammy finally spoke again. “You know that can’t be true. It’s been years. Do you really, honestly believe Mike could have anything to do with our killer?”

The light of the basement suddenly brightened before a white glow surrounded Golden’s body. Nick backed up, tears sprinkling down from his face and gently plopping down on the suit just as a transparent figure of a girl popped up. Her long brown hair flowing behind her. She opened up her eyes, revealing how they glowed like two shiny lights.

“Now you show your real self!?” Nick demanded. “No tricks, like when you talked to Mike?”

“No tricks. Just you and me…” She paused, catching a glimpse of Puppet to the side and then looked down at Golden’s body. She giggled before smiling at Nick. “Plus, our animatronics.”

Golden’s laugh could be heard at that. Puppet just nervously backed away silently.

“Shut it you…” Nick hissed at the bear.

“Nick, can I ask you something?”

“…” Nick didn’t speak, but he also didn’t stop her, so Sammy took that as a sign to continue.

“Would killing the purple guy really make you happy? Is that really all it’s going to take?”

“What kind of stupid question is that.”

“My mommy always told me there are no stupid questions,” Sammy shot back with a smirk. “Anyways, think about it. We don’t know what will happen if the purple guy is killed. Gosh, we don’t even know if that will bring us peace or not. You are basing this all on an assumption, Nick.”

“Where are you getting at? Just spit it out already!”

“I’m just saying…if you do kill the man who did this to us. What next? There is only one thing we know for a fact. We are bound to our animatronics and that’s it. You don’t know the future. If you did, I’m sure you would have killed the purple guy by now. I would just hate to see you go through all this agony only to have nothing to show for it. We could be trapped here forever, and you just don’t know what will happen next. I know you don’t. So please, let’s think rationally? Maybe if we team up with the animatronics and Mikey then we can come up with a better solution. One that doesn’t involve anymore deaths.” She lifted a hand to Nick and gave a friendly smile. “What do you say?”

Nick stared at her hand, face emotionless. The only signs of emotion that did show were the drying droplets of tears that he has yet to wipe away. Sammy smiled wider when she saw he hesitantly lifted a hand up, as if he were about to shake it. She waited expectantly, holding back her excitement, only to have it all dash away as Nick turned on his feet and marched over to Puppet again.

Puppet gasped as he saw the child approach him. “W-wait! No, please! Please not aga-aaah!” Puppet’s body twisted in pain as Nick possessed him once more. The body withered around against the ground before suddenly falling deathly still. Sammy could only watch helplessly as Puppet’s body stood back up and Nick glared through the animatronic’s eyes.

“You’re just a traitor, Sammy. A traitor to us. If you wanted so badly to team up with the animatronics, you should have done so earlier when Freddy found you.”

“I wanted to talk to you first…” Sammy said quietly.

“Well, guess you didn’t get your way in the end. You are stuck down here. Alone.”

“I’ll contact Mike when he returns. I’ll find a way. We’ll stop you from causing anymore harm here. I’ll make sure of it.”

Nick rolled his eyes, letting his body float up in the air. “We’ll see about that, Sammy. See ya later.” Just then, the possessed animatronic vanished from sight, leaving Sammy alone with Golden.

“ _I’m sorry, sweetie,_ ” Golden spoke softly.

“It’s okay. I’m sorry I made you stay quiet when Freddy and Bonnie were down here for nothing. I…I really thought I could get through to him…I…”

Golden desperately wished he could move his arms to hug the child, but he could only stare with his blank eyes as the little girl started to cry against him. _“It’ll work out. I know it.”_

“Are you sure?” Sammy wiped a stray tear away as she looked at Golden’s face.

“ _I know it will. I know Freddy and Bonnie well enough to know they will do anything when they have their mind set to something. The others seem to be like that too, and Mike. I have faith in all of them. Some day soon, we’ll get through to Nick and the others. All this bloodshed will end. I promise.”_

Sammy smiled, moving to lay down next to the bear. “Okay, Golden. I believe you.”

“ _That’s a girl. Now rest. You need to save up your energy. You’ve been using it too much lately.”_

“Okay. Goodnight, Golden.”

“ _Goodnight._ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there was the new chapter! I hope you all liked it. If you did, please leave a kudos if you haven't and comment as well. I would really appreciate it if you would. A new chapter should come out sometime next week. I'm actually already typing up chapter 11 as I am sending this chapter out, so the is no way I should miss out on updating this for a while. Which is good news for all of you guys who are enjoying this fanfic so far. 
> 
> See you guys next week!


	9. Night of Contemplation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mike is ready to leave the hospital, but the night before he can he has a moment to himself to think over everything he has learn and sort out the crazy mess of information in his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I'm a few days late. I haven't had a good week and just lost track of what day it was. Plus I had like zero energy as well. My personal problems aside, I finally got around to getting on my computer and uploading this chapter. I hope you all enjoy this.
> 
> As a sorry for being a little late, I think I'm going to upload chapter 10 up either later today or tomorrow. Besides, while I do like this chapter, I will fully admit this isn't my favorite, but I do enjoy chapter 10 much more. The main reason this chapter exists is that I wanted to introduce one more new element to my stories as well as have a proper flow from Mike in the hospital to Mike leaving it. Next chapter things will kick back into full gear.
> 
> But like I said, I do still enjoy this chapter even if it is a bit slow at times. So I will warn you about that. But please still give it a shot and read it because there are some semi-important parts that are brought up in here.
> 
> So please enjoy!

Mike sighed as he leaned against the bed. He was bored. No one to talk to, nothing to entertain himself. Being in the hospital sucked! He glared at his ankle, wishing he wasn’t so stupid the previous night to get himself in this situation in the first place. Right now, he could be hanging out with his friends, they could be having fun right now! But noooo, he just had to get caught and get his ankle and foot broken beyond belief!

“Just your luck, Mike…” he scolded himself. He closed his eyes and let his mind drift off. It moved to Mr. Fazbear and what he learned from the old man. So little was said, but it only made Mike more confused and curious as to what has happened in the past for the business.

“Mr. Fazbear has a son…?” he whispered to himself. “How come I never knew this…I mean, sure I am not close to the old guy, but you’d think that this son of his would have come up in conversation before. Like when I found out about his nephew. That would have been an excellent time for you to bring it up, Freddy!” he called out the bear as if he could hear him right now.

Mike frowned as he really began to think about this son of Mr. Fazbear. “And why would he want me to forget about that so quickly? Does this son have something to do with all this mess? Wait…maybe there were two killers! I doubt Freddy ever thought of that. Hmm…that still doesn’t sound right. But still something to keep in mind I guess…”

There was a knock at his door before a nurse came in. “Hello, Mike. I’m just here to give you some pain medicine for the night. If your foot starts feeling uncomfortable again later tonight, just press the call button. Okay, dear?”

Mike smiled at the nurse, catching her nametag. “Thanks, Rebecca. I appreciate it.” He watched her mess with his IV before she asked if he needed anything else. When Mike answered with a polite no, she excused herself out of the room.

Once she was out of the room, Mike tried to think over the information that buzzed around his head more. “Okay, let’s get the facts down. Each night the ghosts possess the animatronics. Nick was the first one to die, so it is possible he was the first one to start all this mess. He must be like the ringleader for the kids…at least I assume all the ghosts are kids. If there is a ghost for each animatronic, then that would mean there is at least five, including Nick. There is a strong possibility that Mr. Fazbear’s nephew Daniel is their killer and from how that old man acted today, I’m starting to suspect that too. Then there is Mr. Fazbear’s son…is he important in this? Or am I just finding a red herring? Hmmm….?”

Mike thought over each story before realizing something. “I haven’t learned how these other ghosts died. I feel like I was getting close but then…” he glanced at his wrapped-up foot again and groaned. “This happened…No, don’t focus on that, Mike! Okay…so I’m obviously dealing with something supernatural. That Nick kid is angry, I don’t blame him. If he is killing each night guard, he must be trying to make others suffer like him…or maybe he wants to kill his murderer. Probably both. That would make sense.”

He remembered the night when the lights began to flicker before twelve and the ghost that was most likely Nick forced his friends to lose control much earlier than normal. Nick had kicked Mr. Fazbear out that night. Stating that they didn’t want him or something like that, right?

“So, Nick is determined only to kill night guards…at least that is what it sounds like. So, he only wants to kill me right now. That’s…reassuring…” Mike thought with a nervous gulp. “So, the real question is…how to I calm down an angry spirit. If Nick really is the leader for the ghosts, then maybe I just need to worry about him. Maybe the others will follow suit…” There was a long beat of silence as Mike thought this all over before he suddenly flung his hands to his face letting out another groan. “Ugh…that’s a longshot even if I do manage to calm Nick down, but it’s my best bet at the moment…”

Mike racked his brain as he tried to think of ways to calm the angry child down. “Nick _is_ a kid. Maybe he is still childlike deep down. Kids can be difficult, but there is always a way to make them do as you say, right? But maybe forcing Nick to comply isn’t the best option. Ugh…I can’t think like this! I don’t even know the first thing about kids…or ghosts for that matter…”

Mike thought about the animatronics, how they have to deal with children on a daily basis. How do they do it? And more importantly, if animatronics that were literally made to entertain and make kids happy can’t even get through to a ghost child, what luck does Mike have?

The guard grabbed his pillow and shoved it over his face. “Why is this so difficult!?” his muffled cries came out.

When he removed the pillow from his face, he struggled to replace it below his head before he finally decided to rest his mind. The painkillers the nurse gave him were starting to kick in and help the ache in his foot. He let out a content sigh at that and closed his eyes, deciding to sleep instead.

Only sleep didn’t come. After a full twenty minutes of keeping his eyes shut and trying to sleep, Mike snapped them back open and let out a frustrated cry. He couldn’t even get his already tired body to sleep! Man, it was times like this he wished he had someone to talk to. If only the animatronics could just leave the restaurant and come visit him, but he knew that would be impossible.

Speaking of the animatronics, they all must be worried sick. After all the last thing the main four saw was Mike in a lot of pain and crying… “Oh my god, I actually cried, didn’t I…?” His face heated up in embarrassment, even if he knew the animatronics wouldn’t have cared and plus, he had a legitimate reason to tear up.

“Still though, it would be nice to talk to them. Let them know I’m okay and I should be back tomorrow.  And maybe talking will be enough to tire me out finally…”

An idea suddenly sprang to mind, and he smiled at the plan. He reached over to the call button by his bed, pressing it. Now all he had to do was wait.

 

* * *

 

 

Foxy nervously looked up at the clock as it grew closer to twelve. Technically it wasn’t even eleven yet, but Mike would always arrive early. He knew Mr. Fazbear closed the restaurant down for the day, but he still figured Mike would return before the day was over. How long did it take to fix a broken ankle? His tail swished behind him anxiously. Were the injuries really that bad? What if Mike really would lose his ankle!? Or worse! What if Mike was hurt somewhere?! Maybe he was in danger!? Maybe-?!

“Foxy?” Freddy’s voice cut through the fox’s worried thoughts.

The pirate looked up over at the bear, going to lift his eyepatch up to show off both eyes. “Aye, Cap’n?”

“Are you okay?” Freddy pulled up a seat next to the fox and sat down. “You look like you are about to short circuit.”

“I’m…I’m just-.” He let out a frustrated growl before turning back up at the clock. “Where be Mikey? Shouldn’t he be here already?”

“Mike is probably still resting up in the hospital. Humans take a while to heal unlike us.”

“But…”

“Mike is okay. I swear. You need to relax, okay?”

Foxy didn’t look convinced as he once again looked at the clock. “I’m be worried about him…”

“I know. I know.” Freddy wrapped an arm around the fox and hugged him tightly. “I am too. But Mikey will be back as soon as he can. Just be patient.”

“Alright…I’ll try.”

Bonnie walked into the showroom with the Toys following behind him. “Well, we search all through the office and other rooms, but the most we found for a weapon was a crowbar.”

Freddy walked over to them after patting Foxy on the back and took the crowbar from Bonnie. “I suppose it’ll have to do. But this is only for a last-minute result, remember. _And_ only if Mike agrees.”

“Yeah, yeah, I know, jeez…” Bonnie rolled his eyes. “Only the millionth time you said that. I get it. I would still feel better if Mike has something to defend himself in case one of us gets in the office before six. And this could do some serious damage.” Bonnie grabbed the crowbar from Freddy and gave a test swing, being mindful of the ones around him.

“Watch it!” Chicky squawked, shooting him a look.

“I am.” Bonnie smirked at her before tossing the crowbar on a nearby table. “So where is Mike? Shouldn’t he be back by now?”

“Mike’s foot was broken, Bonnie. Like I told Foxy here, humans need time to heal. They can’t just get a replacement part whenever they are injured like us,” Freddy explained.

“Oh, right…I forget sometimes.”

“So, is Mikey not going to show up at all tonight?” Chica questioned worriedly.

“It’s a strong possibility,” Freddy confirmed. “I would say tomorrow at the earliest. But we just won’t know for a fact for now. I mean, it’s not like we can just ask Mike right now.”

Suddenly the phone by the entrance of the building began to ring, startling the animatronics. All eyed the device for a moment, confused. No one ever called the restaurant this late at night. Who could it be?

“Ignore it,” Freddy said. “Probably a wrong number.” The phone eventually went silent and the animatronics all began to settle in their spots around the showroom, starting to think of what else to say or do before twelve, when suddenly the phone began to ring again.

“What the…?” Bon-Bon looked at the phone, raising a brow. “Weird. Does the phone always go off at night or am I right to find that odd?”

“No, it doesn’t usually. The only phone that rings at night is the one in Mike’s office and those are only pre-recorded messages.” Freddy looked at the phone. “Must be a prank caller. It’ll stop eventually.”

The phone went silent and the animatronics were about to focus their attention on each other, going to start up a new conversation when the phone rang yet again.

“Oh my god…” Foxy complained, standing up. “I be answering it…”

“Foxy no! You know we aren’t allowed to answer the phones here. Mr. Fazbear-.”

Foxy cut Freddy off as he ran near the entrance moving to the phone hanging on the wall. “Mr. Fazbear ain’t here. He won’t ever know. If it be something important, we can give him the message later.”

Freddy groaned as he watched his younger brother pick up the phone and answered it.

“What be it ya want!?” Foxy asked annoyed.

“ _Foxy! Hey! You guys finally picked up!”_

“Mikey!?”

Hearing the name, all the animatronics sat up straight in their spots, some standing before they made their way to Foxy.

“Mikey! Lad! It so glad to hear ya! Are ye alright!? Where are ya?! Will ya be coming back to the restaurant soon?!”

“ _Foxy, Foxy, relax! I’m fine. I’m still at the hospital. I’m going to get surgery in the morning and sometime after that, if all goes alright, they said I can head out. I should be back and working by tomorrow night.”_

Freddy could scarcely hear Mike from the phone and smiled triumphantly _._ “Told you guys.”

Bonnie rolled his eyes. “Great, now he’s gonna get a fat head…well fatter.”

The brown bear shot his brother a look as Foxy continued to speak to the guard on the phone.

“Mikey, I’m…I be so sorry for what happened to ya. We have all kind of been feeling guilty over the situation.”

“ _Oh, come on captain. You guys didn’t do anything wrong. This…me getting hurt was just a mistake that won’t happen again. I’m going to make sure of it.”_

Foxy felt his ears droop down. “Aye…that’s what we all been saying here too…Still I-.” Foxy was interrupted by Mike letting out a loud gasp.

“ _Oh yeah! The Toys! They were injured when I was taken! Are they okay now?”_

The pirate laughed and shook his head fondly at hearing the concern in Mike’s voice. “Aye. We found them shortly after ye left and fixed them right up.”

Fred put the pieces together as to what Mike had said over the phone and leaned closer so his voice could carry through. “We are all fine Mike. No need to worry.”

“ _Oh, thank goodness. When they went down, I was worried about them…but I guess I got kind of distracted shortly after and almost forgot.”_

“Well, I don’t be blaming ya for that. A lot happened this morning.”

“ _Yeah…but it’s over now. Oh! I almost forgot! Can I talk to Freddy real fast?”_

“Sure, of course.” Foxy handed the phone to the older bear and Freddy stepped closer to speak without stretching out the phone cord.

“Hello, Mike. So glad to hear from you.”

“ _Hey, Freddy. Hey, I got a question for you._ ”

“Hmm? What is it?”

Mike hesitated over the phone for a second before finally speaking up. “ _Do you know anything about Mr. Fazbear’s son?”_

Freddy’s brows knitted together as he stared confusedly at the wall. “Mr. Fazbear’s…son? I…I don’t believe he has a son, Mike.”

The others cast curious looks at hearing that.

“ _See that’s the thing. He does! He told me himself.”_

“Mr. Fazbear actually has a son?!” Freddy questioned in shock.

“What!? Really!?” Chicky shouted. She looked at her fellow Toys. “I thought the guy had like almost no family.”

“Obviously he has his nephew, but I…I never heard about his son.” Freddy tried his hardest to wrack his memory for any clue for the old man’s child, but nothing came to mind. “Well…Mr. Fazbear has always been a bit secretive. I guess this son of his is just another thing he has kept from all of us.”

“ _Yeah, but why would he?”_ Mike brought up. “ _I actually questioned him a bit when we were together. I brought up his nephew, Daniel, and to be honest with you Freddy, I’m starting to think Daniel really was Nick’s killer too. So, Mr. Fazbear keeping Daniel a secret is kind of obvious. But why his son?”_

“I can’t think of a reason…Ever since I was made, I have never seen any sign that Mr. Fazbear had a son. Even before Nick’s unfortunate death. If Mr. Fazbear is really keeping his son a secret, he has been doing it for a long time.”

Mike went silent for a moment, so much so that Freddy was worried Mike was disconnected.

“Mike?”

“ _Sorry, I’m just thinking…say, you wouldn’t think…Fredbear would have known about him, would you?”_

“Fredbear? Why do you bring him up?”

“ _Well, when Mr. Fazbear accidently let slip to me that he had a son, he actually originally brought up Fredbear and Spring. He was talking about them, actually he was soundly friendly about them.”_

Freddy shook his head, completely baffled by that. “That sure doesn’t sound like him…”

“ _I know right. The more I think about it, the more confusing it gets. A-anyways, he was basically reminiscing about the old days before you were finished being made and quickly mentioned his son after that. I just figured that maybe Fredbear and Spring would have known about him. I…I know you guys can’t just ask them, but maybe the two hinted at the son to you or Bonnie in the past?”_

“No. Not that I can think of. If they did know about this son, they never told us in the slightest. Heck, I think they also believed Mr. Fazbear didn’t have any family until we found out about Daniel.”

There was a loud groan of complaint through the phone before Mike spoke. “ _Damn…I really wish this would reveal something big, but I’m even more confused than I was before.”_

“I know, Mike. Trust me, I’m a bit confused too.” He heard Mike sigh before continuing. “Look, I know you want to solve all the mysteries relating to our business, but for now I just want you to relax and get better, okay?”

“ _But-!_ ”

“No ‘buts’ young man!” Freddy scowled. “I know figuring everything out is important to you, but it won’t do any good if you don’t get better. Understand?”

Freddy could practically hear Mike roll his eyes from the other side of the phone before the night guard finally spoke again. “ _Fine…I get it. I’ll go back to my room to rest. Man…and I almost forgot why I used to call you Papa Bear as a kid. You’re waaaay to much like a parent sometimes.”_

The singer laughed at that. “Oh, I almost forgot about that nickname.”

Mike joined in on the laugh before quieting down. “ _Okay, I guess I should go. My foot is starting to ache. Plus, a nurse brought me to the public phone, and I don’t want to keep her here much longer.”_

“Okay, Mike. I understand.”

“ _Tell the others I said hi, and I’ll be back tomorrow. I promise!”_

“I will. See ya later Mike.”

“ _Bye!”_

The phone went dead and Freddy hung it up. He looked at the others, offering a smile. “Mike said hi.”

“So, what was all that about Mr. Fazbear’s apparent son?!” Bonnie questioned confused and curiously.

“Nothing that makes sense for us right now. Apparently, Mr. Fazbear had told him he had a son, but obviously none of us have seen any signs of his existence.”

“Suspicious…” Foxy murmured. “Why does that old man have so many secrets?”

“I am sure he has his reasons,” Fred spoke up next. “Afterall, the boss _has_ had many things he had to hide away that we actually do know about. I guess it would only make sense he ended up keeping secrets from us as well.”

“Yeah, but why?” Bon-Bon questioned. “I mean, be honest, who are we going to tell. I mean, for example, even if we knew 100%, without any doubt, who the killer of the kids was, not like we can just go waltzing out and blabbing it. So why keep secrets from us? Especially one related to his family?”

“Like Fred said, Mr. Fazbear most likely has his reasons,” Freddy answered. “Maybe he is covering up something big. Maybe this has to do with the murdered children or not. Either way, there are secrets to this place that obviously we don’t know the answer to.”

“Man, that kind of sucks when you think about it…” Chicky commented, crossing her arms.

“What do you mean?” Bon-Bon asked.

“Well, think about it. This is our home, and we aren’t even allowed to know everything. I can understand why us Toys didn’t know the details on the kids’ death because it happened before, we were made, but at least we knew about the situation to an extent. But that old man just keeps things away from us because all we are to him is objects.” Chicky sighed. “He’s never going to treat us as equals, is he?”

Fred lifted a paw to rest on his sister’s shoulder. “Now, now. There is no need to get hung up on minor details.”

“But Fred, this is _our_ life too!” Chicky snapped. “Here we are, trying so hard to keep people safe and Mr. Fazbear doesn’t bat an eye.”

“Chicky’s got a point,” Bon-Bon spoke up. “I mean, for crying out loud, he is probably the one person who knows everything, and he hasn’t done shit to stop it. All because he wants to keep a good eye in the public and possibly save his nephew’s skin if he really is the killer. I’m sorry you four had to deal with him for longer than us Toys did. I don’t think I could have put up with him for so long.”

“Getting angry at Mr. Fazbear won’t solve a thing,” Freddy spoke up, making sure his voice would boom out to get everyone’s full attention. “There is no denying Mr. Fazbear has definitely done suspicious acts in the past. He most likely knows more about our situation than any of us do. I’m not saying he should be trusted, and I’m definitely not saying we should be friends with him. But he is still the man behind all of _this!”_ Freddy spread his arms out to gesture to the restaurant. “He is the reason we are all here in the first place. Like it or not, he is, in a way, a member of our family too. For crying out loud, I have his same last name! I understand your frustrations with that man, but we shouldn’t start turning against him. Especially not in a fragile time like this.”

“But Freddy,” Bon-Bon started, “he could be a key part in all our troubles. Heck, what if he was involved in the killings too? Do you really think we can just be civil to him, knowing just how shady he is?”

“Hate him all you want. I am not one to deny you that. But we have to think for the good of all of us. Mr. Fazbear has power over us. We can’t forget that. I don’t like him either. I won’t lie. But in this moment, making an enemy of Mr. Fazbear will just hinder out hopes of finding peace here in the restaurant. We can be damaged beyond belief and there is still a high probability we can still be salvaged and fixed up. It’s happened to all of us here at least once. But, treat Mr. Fazbear with hostility for now and…and…” Freddy clenched his paws in tight fists as the worst-case scenario crossed his mind. “I don’t want to risk one of you ending up like Fredbear and Spring…I…I can’t lose any more family members for good.”

There was a deep silence that followed after that. The rest of the original four and the Toys felt their eyes grow wide at the implications Freddy brought up, taken back by the fear and pain that crossed the older bear’s eyes.

“Freddy…” Bonnie whispered, reaching for his brother, only to have the bear pull back slightly.

Their leader sniffled a bit, facing away for a moment to wipe at his eyes before sighing and looking back at them. “Sorry…I didn’t mean to get all emotional. I just…I love you all so much. Losing Fredbear and Spring was one of the hardest things I had to deal with. I just don’t want to risk one of you going through the same thing. That’s why I say we stay as civil to Mr. Fazbear as possible. Try to stay on as good of a side of his as possible.”

“Oh Freddy!” Chica ran to her brother and hugged him tightly. “We love you too!”

Freddy smiled gently at her, moving to hug her back. He felt a pressure on his shoulder and saw Mangle step forward and wrap their body around as well. Soon enough Chicky joined in as well. Freddy laughed as they hugged him before casting a glance at the ones who stayed standing away. “Ah, come on you guys. You going to deny a group hug?”

Bon-Bon rolled his eyes and scoffed. “No offense, but my fur is looking too perfect right now to have it messed up by a group hu-aaah!?” The blue bunny didn’t get to finish as Bonnie suddenly slung an arm around him and forced him forward.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Bon-Bon! You know you love hugs!” Bonnie smirked at his counterpart as he dragged him over to the others.

Fred snickered at his brother before he too felt an arm sling around him and saw Foxy start to push him forward as well.

“You too, laddie!” Foxy grinned at him, flashing him his gold fang before forcing Fred into the group hug.

“Ack, no! Come on now!” Fred’s complaints were ignored as he was squished between Foxy and Bon-Bon, much to the two’s annoyance as the bear and rabbit gave sharp glares at each other before casting their distaste at the others.

Chicky noticed and cast her own wicked smirk their way. “Oh, come on you two. You both know you love this!” She giggled at them with a wink.

Fred and Bon-Bon turned their dirty look at her before both exchanged a look with each other. Their expressions seemed to crack before finally genuine smiles spread across their faces and they willingly joined in on the group hug.

All seemed unaware of little Sammy as she hid away near the ceiling, a content smile across her face as she watched the happy animatronics. She would have stayed longer. She wished she could have. But the ever-looming presence of Nick was starting to build up and the girl sighed. She glanced at the clock, noticing it was getting closer to twelve. Only a few minutes left. “At least Mike is safe for tonight.”

“It would seem so…” a voice spoke to her side, and Sammy jumped to see Nick appearing next to her, still using Puppet’s body. He didn’t turn to face her, keeping his eyes locked down at the animatronics from their hiding spot.

“Hello to you too…” Sammy muttered, looking away.

“You should go now.” Nick rested his head on one hand. “The night is about to begin.”

“There is no nightguard coming today. What are you guys going to do?”

Nick scoffed, a teasing smirk forming on his face. “My friends still deserve a time to have control. Nightguard or no nightguard, they should be able to move around just as freely as me and you.” He chuckled. “And it will begin in 3…2…1.”

The clock struck twelve, and the animatronics didn’t seem to notice until the Toys suddenly froze up, Bon-Bon getting cut off mid-sentence.

Bonnie looked at his counterpart nervously. “Bon? You okay, buddy?” He reached for the rabbit only for the younger one to snap his head towards the purple bunny, startling him. “O-oh…” he spoke, realizing what was going on.

“The Toys are in their night modes.” Freddy concluded. He waved a paw in front of Fred’s face, but the younger bear didn’t seem to respond.

“So…” Foxy spoke. “Since Mikey not be here…does that mean we are gonna be okay tonight?”

The answer didn’t come from Freddy even though the bear was about to speak. It came from Chica who let out a startled gasp, clutching onto her head in the process.

Freddy let out a frustrated noise, watching his sister start to lose control “It would seem no…But no one is in danger tonight. So, let’s be grateful for that.”

Bonnie started to lose control as well, crying out in pain as he tried to fight back the possession. Foxy let out a growl as he watched cautiously. Freddy placed a paw on his shoulder to calm him down.

“Head to the cove, Foxy. Relax on your stage.”

“But…”

“There is nothing we can do for Bonnie and Chica for now. It’s best just to wait it out until six.”

Foxy let out a huff before reluctantly agreeing. He cast a glance at the Toys as he backed up before turning to face Chica who started to make her way around the restaurant silently. Just as he was about to leave the showroom, he could hear Bonnie step up behind him only to shove his way past the fox and down the hall.

Freddy watched all this from his spot before he sighed and lowered his head. He was about to walk to the main stage when he took notice of the Toys once more, realizing the four of them were all watching him silently, analyzing his face to make sure he was not a threat to the restaurant. Freddy shook his head before lifting up his paws. “Fellow animatronic, Toys. Go ahead and patrol the rest of the place.”

The Toys seemed to hesitate as they processed the data that was just given to them before each one started to make their way to a different location, their movements much more robotic than normal.

The older bear wished he could do more, but in this case, until the Toys could be repaired, it was just best if he just rolled with their night modes until they were back in control. He finally made his way to the stage, just as all the Toys left the showroom, closing his eyes and trying to settle his mind before he too would lose it and be possessed like his other siblings.

Above, Nick cackled in joy and Sammy could only watch helplessly.

 

* * *

 

 

“Mr. Schmidt? Mr. Schmidt?”

Mike went to let out a groan, but it caught in his scratchy throat. He flinched at that before blinking open his eyes to see his doctor standing above him with a smile.

“Ah, hello again, Mr. Schmidt. The entire procedure went by smoothly.”

Mike slowly lifted his head to find his foot once again wrapped up in a fresh cast. “Oh cool…” he hoarsely replied. “Uh…can I have a drink or something?”

“I see that the nurse brings you a cup of water,” the doctor replied. “Now we should really go over some extra details. Just things to keep in mind as you slowly start to get ready to leave. Plus, we should go ahead and schedule a follow-up appointment soon and-.”

There was a knock at the door and the two looked before Mr. Fazbear slowly opened it and entered.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to interrupt. Just came to check on Mike.”

“Mr. Fazbear? You’re back?”

“Well someone has to drive you back home, right? Last I check you don’t have a car and I doubt you would be fit to drive anyways.”

“O-oh, right. Thank you, sir…”

“Sorry for barging in again…” Mr. Fazbear spoke to the doctor before taking a seat.

“No problem at all. I’m just letting Mike know everything else he needs to remember before getting him ready to leave.”

Mike and Mr. Fazbear listened to the doctor ramble on before eventually he walked out to take care of Mike’s paperwork.

“Jeez…I don’t know how I’m going to pay for all of this…” Mike complained as the doctor left. “Heck, I’m working for you for less than minimum wage. That should say enough…”

Mr. Fazbear was quiet, studying Mike, not that the guard took notice of that. After a beat of silence, he decided to speak up. “Actually…” Mike raised a brow as he looked over at the man. “I’m going to pay for your medical bill.”

The guard’s eyes blew up wide, staring at his boss, completely stunned. “You…you what?”

“I’m going to pay for your medical bills. Don’t get me wrong, normally I wouldn’t do this, but you did technically get hurt on the job and as your boss I do have some responsibilities. Plus, look at this as a sort of way to keep you silent.”

“You’re…bribing me?”

“Mike you are digging up a lot of dirt I would rather keep secret. All I ask is that _if_ you do manage to put a stop to all this madness then keep the secrets to yourself. All you want is for the animatronics to act normal at night, right?”

“I mean, in a way, yeah…but…”

“But nothing. Look, I’m offering you a deal here. A sort of peace offering. You clearly don’t like me and no offense son, but you aren’t exactly my favorite person either. But you work for me and as far as I am concern that is enough for me to look out for you.” He turned his head away with a huff. “Just don’t get used to this…”

“I…” Mike frowned. “And what if I don’t stay silent?”

“…”

“What if my suspicions are true and I decide to blab all I learn to the public. What then?”

A dark look crossed over the old man as he glowered at his employee. “Fine. Go ahead and tell the public _everything._ I welcome it.”

Mike tensed up, trying his best to back up, but found it near impossible while he was stuck on the bed.

“But know this Mike. You do it, and you can kiss your little robot family goodbye.” A mocking smirk crossed the old man’s face. “Don’t forget, this is a business. If people stop coming to my restaurant because of certain rumors, then I don’t make money. Which means I will have to close up and who do you think will suffer in that scenario? You and me? No. We can always find a new way to make ends meet. But those animatronics…where do you think they will go if the restaurant shuts down? Here’s the answer: The nearest scrapyard in town!”

_Just when I thought he was somewhat nice…_ Mike thought, glaring harshly at his boss.

Mr. Fazbear smiled when he noticed Mike understood him clearly before standing up. “I’m glad we have reached an agreement, Michael. Now, if you excuse me, I have some paperwork to take care of. You should really be thanking me. Not many will be so lucky to not have to worry about such an expensive medical bill.”

“You’re a bastard, you know that?”

“Nice of the pot to finally introduce himself to the kettle.”

“I’m nothing like you!” Mike hissed. “I actually care about my loved ones! I care about the animatronics and I care about the pizzeria. All you care about is keeping a good image so you can keep getting money.”

Mr. Fazbear chuckled, but there was not an ounce of humor in it. “Oh Mike. If you only knew…you are more like me then you realize. Such a naïve boy.” He finally stepped out, leaving Mike alone yet again.

Mike spat at the door even though he was by himself before crossing his arms. “What an asshole! I don’t know what he even means. I’m nothing like him. And even if he was like me at one point, I’ll never end up a bitter old guy like him…Man, I pity that son of his. Must have been hell growing up under that!”

It was a few hours later before Mike was finally discharged from the hospital. He was wheeled out by a nurse, Mr. Fazbear following shortly behind him before he was guided back inside Mr. Fazbear’s car. Mike’s eyes widened when he realized the bloodstains, he left behind were long gone, not a trace of it all left behind. _Guess he really_ is _good at getting out bloodstains…_ Mike thought uneasily. Once the two were left alone yet again, Mr. Fazbear started up his car in pure silence before they drove away.

“Where do you live?”

“Just take me to the pizzeria.”

“Like hell I am. You can come in for work tonight if you want, but I’m not going to have you loiter around all day.”

“Why not. I did it before and you never noticed.”

“You what!?”

Mike smirked at him, realizing the boss never knew of his stay the other day.

“Ugh, look kid! I don’t run a hotel! You are going to your home. “Besides, you stink. I’m not having your filthy face go around my restaurant and scaring the kids.”

Mike frowned before looking down at his dirty clothes, his pant leg was not only torn up beyond belief, but still covered in dried blood from the accident. He sneakily sniffed at his armpits before cringing at the sour smell. “Okay, I guess a shower wouldn’t hurt…”

“You _can_ get around your house on your own, right? Because I’m not playing babysitter for you all day.”

“I’ll manage…” Mike crossed his arms. “I broke my other ankle when I was a kid. I learned pretty quickly how to move around on one foot since Granny was too sore most of the time to help out. Worst case scenario, I’ll give a call to my landlady. She’s pretty nice.”

“Good. And you better find your own way to work tonight. Cause I’m also done being your chauffeur, understand.”

“Yeah, yeah…I live within walking distance. I’ll just wheel myself over to the restaurant.”

“You live within walking distance?”

“Yep! Why?”

“…” Mr. Fazbear groaned, slapping a hand to his face before he went quiet again.

Mike raised a brow at him but shrugged anyways and leaned back. “I live on 5th St. by the way.”

His boss didn’t reply, and he stayed quiet the rest of the way until eventually the car pulled over in front of the pizzeria.

Mike looked out the window curiously before turning to his boss.

“Don’t say I didn’t do you any favors…Because I think that list is growing by the day. Say a quick hello and then get out before customers start noticing.” He hopped out of the car before moving the backseat and pulling out Mike’s wheelchair and then offering a hand to the guard. “I opened up earlier before I came and got you, so those animatronics are probably busy, so don’t interrupt them. You stay until you can say a hello. Understand?”

Mike’s stomach suddenly rumbled, catching the two’s attention. Mike gave a sheepish look. “What about after I eat lunch here?”

“Ugh…you’re going to be the end of me, kid…” Mr. Fazbear pulled Mike, a bit harshly, to his wheelchair before walking to the door. “Hurry it up…I’ll have a waiter meet you so you can order what you want. I’m not paying for that, so you better have your own money for it, got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

The two entered, being greeted by a sound wave of children screaming out in joy and Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica singing along to a song. Mr. Fazbear spoke to a man, who looked to be not too much older than Mike, probably in his mid-twenties at least, before the waiter approached the guard and offered a thousand-watt smile.

“Hellooooo~” he sang out holding a menu under his arm. He extended a hand to Mike who hesitantly shook it back. “Mr. Fazbear says you work as a nightguard here, is that right!?”

“Uh, yeah.” Odd question to suddenly bring up…Mike thought confused.

“Did that happen on the job?” the waiter questioned, looking at his foot.

“Kinda…it was an accident.” Mike smiled nervously at the man and took in the rest of his appearance. He had blond hair that was styled in a perfect quaff. He also had bright blue eyes that kind of put Mike’s own to shame. And to complete his look was a uniform similar to Mike’s, but instead of the badge that Mike held over the left side of his chest, this man wore a black apron over his blue tinted uniform that held a picture of Freddy’s face over the front.

“Man, that had to have sucked. For me, the most I have to worry about is dropping the food in front of the guests.” He let out a laugh before waving the hand he used to shake Mike’s. “I’m Fritz, by the way. Fritz Smith.”

“Mike.”

“You know, Mike…I actually was a night guard too.”

“Wait? What!?”

“Yeah, back when the other location was opened, and the Toy animatronics were mostly around.” He rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously. “But I was kind of fired after one day. Mr. Fazbear saw me messing with the animatronics and didn’t like that, so he fired me and had this other guy take over. I forgot his name, but he was the one who made those phone recordings for us night guards.”

“Phone Guy?”

“Haha, wow, original nickname for him. But yeah, him. I figured you would know him. O-oh! I should take you to a table. U-uh, can you…do you need any…um…how do I ask this without being rude…?”

Mike smiled at the guy. “No need to worry. And I can handle moving around on my own.”

“Phew, okay, cool!” He gestured for Mike to follow before stepping away. “This way.” As they walked, Fritz continued to speak. “So yeah, I worked as a night guard when I was seventeen. My old man was hounding me to get a job so when the place was calling for a night guard, I decided to take it. But man, those animatronics were freaky man. At least at night. I figured I could fix them up, so I tried to open them up to see what made them tick, ya know? Thought I could fix them, but I quickly realized I know nothing about engineering. Mr. Fazbear walked in when I was trying that out and got real mad. I mean, I understand now. I was a stupid teen who was probably damaging his property, and… _oh_ , here we are!”

Mike was gestured to a table where Fritz then quickly placed a menu in front of him.

“Man, I’ve been rambling, haven’t I. Sorry.” He rubbed the back of his head. “I tend to talk a lot when I meet new people. Never know how to shut up, haha.” He lowered his arm before offering a sincere grin to the guard.  “It’s just I always wanted to speak to a night guard, but I’m long gone before one shows up. So, it’s cool to talk to a fellow guard…well, even though I’m an ex one.”

“Actually, it is cool,” Mike agreed with a smile. “So, did you see anything else that was strange when you worked there?”

“Strange how?”

“Um…like did you see _them_ walking around?” Mike pointed at the stage where Freddy and the others stood.

“Not really…well, I saw them. But they were so busted up in their storage room that I didn’t really notice them. The Toy animatronics moved around though. They were kind of spooky, if you ask me. Especially that Puppet.”

“Puppet?”

“Yeah, I had to wind a music box to keep him calm or else he would start to crawl out. I hate anything clown-like so I made sure to keep him in his place. Ugh…But besides the Toys walking around I was fine. I had to wear an old Freddy mask. Apparently, it would keep the animatronics calm. To be honest, I’m not 100% what would happen if I didn’t keep them all calm, but I’m kind of glad I never found out.”

“I see…”

“But that’s kind of why I wanted to meet a nightguard! You must have balls of steel to handle those guys each night. I remember how creepy the Toys were and I can only imagine how creepy those four are.”

“They really aren’t so bad when you get to know them,” Mike instantly defended them.

Fritz didn’t seem to notice the defensive tone and shrugged. “Well the kids sure do like them. I don’t know, maybe animatronic animals just were never my thing. Never saw the appeal. Always scared me when I was a kid.” He waved a hand over his face. “Man, sorry again. I keep rambling when I should be working.” He pointed a thumb over in the direction where Mr. Fazbear’s office was. “I’m lucky Mr. Fazbear gave me a second chance at working for him, so I should really focus. Anyways, what can I get ya?”

“I’ll just have a coke and two slices of pepperoni. That’s all.”

“Fair enough,” Fritz took back the menu before offering yet another dazzling smile. “It was nice to meet you Mike, by the way. Maybe we can hang out later.”

Mike smiled at the man. “Yeah, I’d like that.”

Fritz gave a thumbs up before walking away to place the order. Mike grinned, not expecting to meet such a friendly face at work that wasn’t made of metal. It was kind of nice to finally have a friendly chat with another human. Mike groaned when he realized what he thought. “Am I really that out of touch with people? The most interaction I had with a human was Mr. Fazbear! Ugh…and that was just horrible…”

_At least he was nice enough to let me come in before work hours_

Mike shook the thought from his head. Who was he kidding? He was still talking about Mr. Fazbear. Every time he did something ‘nice’ for him, it backfired on Mike immensely.

After deciding to shake the thoughts of his time with his boss out of his mind, Mike instead went to focus on the band as they sang out their song happily. The three didn’t’ seem to notice Mike yet, too distracted with their singing and the kids who danced along in front of the stage. Mike wondered if Foxy was hanging out with the Toys again in his cove or if the Toys decided to spend their time in the basement. He would definitely have to check on them later. The last Mike saw of the Toys was when they were knocked out in his office. He knew they were okay now, but it still wasn’t a pleasant sight to watch as they tumbled to the ground lifelessly.

It didn’t take long for Fritz to return to his table, smile never faltering, and handed Mike his drink and pizza.

“Hope you enjoy!” he said before excusing himself to check up on the other customers.

Mike shook his head, amused. “How can that guy be so chipper? I don’t think I could hold a smile for long working as a waiter. Props to him, I guess.” He turned to his food before slowly starting to eat, relishing in each and every bite of his pizza. As he ate, he hummed along to the songs the band sang, shocked to see they haven’t really changed up on what to sing since he was a kid. Although, eventually he did reach an end with him meal before he raised a hand up to Fritz when he walked by.

“Finish already?”

“Yeah. I just stop for a quick bite and to check on something.” Mike smiled at him before pulling out his wallet just in time for Fritz to offer the check. Mike paid before offering a goodbye to the waiter. “I’ll see ya around, Fritz.”

“See ya, Mike!” Fritz waved him off before returning to work.

Mike then wheeled over to the center of the showroom, being mindful of the children that ran around. When Mike was sure he would be seen by the band, he waved his arms up to catch the singer’s attention.

Freddy didn’t miss a beat in his current song as he glanced up when he noticed the waving hands and a beaming smile formed on his face. He casually leaned over to Bonnie who was fully focused on his guitar.

Bonnie did miss a few notes and shot a look at Freddy for messing him up before he realized Freddy was trying to get him to look over at the crowd. He did with a raised brow before smiling when he noticed Mike. Freddy ended up doing the same to Chica, the bird not messing up like Bonnie at first, but she almost dropped Cupcake in joy when she saw Mike in the crowd.

Mike laughed at their reactions before carefully moving over to the side of the stage as he waited for Freddy to finish singing his song. The song went to an end after a few minutes and Freddy spoke to the children how they would be back to entertain them again in a few minutes. The stage lights above died down before Freddy replaced his microphone on the stand and walked over to the guard, Bonnie and Chica doing the same.

“Mike, glad to see you.” Freddy knelt down to hug the guard. The second he pulled back, Chica practically tackled into Mike next.

“Mikey! We missed you!”

“It’s only been a day,” Mike laughed as he hugged the bird back.

“But we were so worried, and it ended up feeling like an eternity!” Chica cried out, squeezing Mike tighter.

“I’m sorry you guys. I never meant to worry you all.” Mike felt Chica finally pull back and faced Bonnie who also went in for a hug.

“We know, kiddo,” the rabbit commented as he pulled back. “Doesn’t mean we won’t worry about you. You mean a lot to us after all. And boy do we have some things to tell you.”

“Really? Like what?”

Bonnie was about to answer when Freddy stepped between the two. “It can wait until you return to work. When do you think you will do that?”

“Tonight, for sure.”

“Tonight?” Freddy asked concerned. “Mike are you sure. I know you promised to see us today, but I figured you would rest for the night after the accident.”

“No way. I’m not wasting any time. I already lost a day thanks to this stupid foot. I’m not going to lose anymore until I figure all this out.”

Freddy sighed, still looking troubled by that. “Well…okay then Mike. I just hope you know what you are doing.”

“I do!” Mike gave a confident grin up at the bear. “Don’t worry, Freddy. I won’t mess up this time.”

“Mike…” Freddy knelt down to be eyelevel with the guard. “You never messed up the other night. Please don’t say that.”

“Look, I did mess up last night. I know there were other factors that happened, but in the end, I wasn’t paying enough attention. Heck, I’ve been doing that a lot each night so far. I mean, I almost lost power each time! And…I have had a few other close calls; some you guys know of some you guys don’t…”

“Wait, really!?” Bonnie asked, looking to be very freaked out by the revelation.

“Nothing too serious!” Mike quickly added. “Just me not noticing one of you near the door and almost not closing it in time. But it’s okay! Because obviously I always caught on before it was too late.”

Bonnie let out a frustrated noise as he paced back, hands stuck at his hips. “Damn, we should have thought of the weapon idea sooner…”

“The what?”

Freddy sighed, shaking his head. “Don’t worry about it right now. Look, what matters is you are alive and well. That’s what I am grateful for. We can tell you anything you want to know later tonight.”

“You better. We still have more of that story to get through.”

Freddy forced a smile as he thought of the story of their past. The smile strained a bit more when he realized just what he was going to have to explain to Mike next, and Freddy suddenly felt very sick inside. He instinctively placed a paw to his stomach where a faint line could scarcely be seen as he pushed against the fake fur. Before he could dwell on the feelings for long he shoved them away, forcing his paw away from his stomach and trying to make his grin look genuine. “Yes, and we are actually getting close to the end. I dare say we may be finishing this a lot sooner than you may realize.”

“Really?!” Mike let out a pleased laugh, raising his arms in the air. “Yes! The puzzle pieces are coming together!”

Freddy couldn’t stop the gentle chuckle that came due to Mike’s antics. “Okay, okay, Mike. You should rest.”

The guard lowered his arms and nodded. “Right, but after I say hello to Foxy and the Toys.”

“Understandable,” Freddy pointed towards the cove. “They are all hanging out today in Foxy’s room again. I know they will be thrilled to see you.”

“Great! I’ll see you all tonight!” After his quick goodbye, Mike went on over to Pirate’s Cove, not catching the attention of any of the staff or children and peered inside.

Foxy, himself, was sitting on his small stage by himself while the Toys sat around tables that were left behind in the abandoned room. Mike knocked on the side of the entrance, and all the animatronics’ eyes turned to him.

“Mike! You’re back!” Foxy shouted, hopping off the stage and sprinting to the guard. Like with Chica, Foxy practically tackled Mike as he went in for a hug. The Toys stood, slowly making their way closer to the two.

“Haha! Hey, Foxy. Just wanted to say a quick hello and to show you guys I was okay. I already did the same with Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica.”

“Oh, I be glad for that. I tell ya lad, it was stressful after ya left yesterday.”

“I know, and I’m really, really sorry for that.”

Foxy shook his head. “Don’t be. There be no use in dwelling on old things like that. As long as I still have me first matey, I don’t care.”

“So? How’s the foot, dearie?” Bon-Bon questioned, popping up next to the guard.

“It’s going to be okay. It’s definitely hurts still, but nothing I can’t handle. As long as I keep it relatively still and elevated for a bit, I’ll be okay. Who knows, if all goes well, I’ll be able to slowly start walking again. Just gotta give it time.”

Bon-Bon frowned. “Gosh, you poor humans. Too bad you can’t just be repaired like us. I can’t imagine being unable to walk properly for weeks on end!”

“Become withered down like me and the others, and you could see how it be,” Foxy commented with a smirk.

Bon-Bon let out a nervous laugh. “Oh, I didn’t mean it like that, Foxy! Oh gosh, I almost forgot about those days!”

“What now?” Mike curiously spoke.

“Not long after the Toys were made, us old four were kind of tossed aside,” Foxy started to explain. “Mr. Fazbear even forced Scott to take parts from us to make them to save on money. We all became scrapped versions of our old selves.”

“That’s awful.”

“Aye, it wasn’t ideal. But eventually we were repaired when the Toys were taken away from the main act.”

Mike looked at the four Toy animatronics. “I’m sure this is a touchy subject, but why were you guys removed from the act?”

Fred cleared his throat and stepped up, letting Bon-Bon step back to be closer to Chicky and Mangle. “That’s a…that’s something that can wait until Freddy catches you up to our part in the story. I know you are curious, but you’ll learn soon enough.” He lowered his head, moving to fiddle his hands with his bowtie. “Besides, that will give us some time to prepare for that trip down memory lane. I’ll go ahead and say it wasn’t a pleasant day the day we were thrown out.”

Mangle let out a low whine and Chicky and Bon-Bon instantly went to comfort them.

Mike cast sympathetic looks at the four before clearing his own throat. “Sorry to bring up bad memories.”

“No! No, no,” Chicky quickly spoke. “You didn’t do anything bad, Mike. I know you just are curious and want to know everything you can about our past.”

“I do. I just…I just wish it didn’t make everyone sad. I feel like all I do is make you guys relive old trauma. I mean, look at how Freddy and Bonnie have been. They’ve been having mental breakdowns all the time since Freddy started telling me everything.”

“Lad…” Foxy placed a paw on Mike’s shoulder. “No, that not be true. Trust me. Before you came, the four of us were at our lowest we ever been. You obviously wouldn’t know it but before you came back here, we were all dead inside. We barely talked. We had no purpose anymore. During the day, the others would have to physically force themselves just to sing their songs. Every time we killed a guard, we would grow quieter and more distant than before. I barely even left Pirate’s Cove. True, there would be times we tried to act normal again. We would talk and laugh, but…there was always this emptiness hidden behind it all. This ol’ pirate don’t need to hear it from the others to know they felt the same way.”

Mike’s eyes widened in concern, his stomach twisting at the mention of how they all were before he got the job as night guard.

“But now…” Foxy suddenly gave a blinding smile, his golden teeth flashing in the light. “Now, we have hope again, Mikey. I haven’t seen Freddy, Bonnie, and Chica laugh this much in forever. I haven’t seen any of them smile like they have been doing. _I_ haven’t smiled like this in forever. I can’t remember the last time I looked forward to the next day, because I knew I would get to spend time with you again and we could all act like a family again. God, Mikey, you have no idea how much I missed the times when we would all be genuinely happy. And now, we are. And it is all thanks to you, Mike.”

The guard didn’t even realize he had tears slipping down his face until he was forced to sniffle, and he raised an arm up to wipe them away. “I…I didn’t realize.”

Foxy grinned at him. “Mike, we always be saying how much you mean to us, and I hope now you really truly understand. We will always love ye, no matter what. Okay? And nothing you say, do, or ask of us will ever stop that.”

“That goes for us as well, Mike,” Fred spoke up, offering a sincere smile at the guard. “I know us four haven’t known you for long, but each day we get to know you shows us more and more why you really are a special human.”

Bon-Bon, Chicky, and Mangle gave their own forms of agreement together while giving their own smiles.

Mike felt his heart swell as he looked at the animatronics. “Okay, I get it now. I do. Thanks. And…I love you all too.” He leaned forward with his arms stretched out and Foxy instantly did the same to hug the guard once more. Mike patted the fox’s back before pulling away and sighing. “Well, I should get going. I need to take care of some things before I come into work tonight.”

“Alright. We shall see ya soon, matey. Ya be careful out there, ya hear me?”

“I’ll be fine. See ya later, guys!” Mike backed himself up until he was outside of the cove. He gave a wave at the animatronics before deciding to head out. Freddy and the band were busy on the stage again and didn’t notice Mike as he left. The guard didn’t mind it as he gave them a smile anyways and was about to head to the exit when the sight of the smiling Fritz caught his eye again.

Fritz looked back at Mike just in time before the guard decided to move away and the two gave a friendly wave at each other before Fritz was called away. Feeling pleased with his visit, and happy to see Fritz once more, he finally left the restaurant and made a slow journey to his apartment for a much needed shower and nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And chapter is done! So yeah, added a new character to the story, one that was not in the old version. I'm taking my own spin for the character Fritz. I'm sure this is not needed to be said, especially at this point, but the plot of this story is much different than any cannon the fnaf series has finally revealed. I mean, I don't even have the Afton family or Henry involved in this story lol. But yeah, Fritz is going to go through my own interpretation now just like all the other characters, so anything that has been shown as canon for this character in the game, just throw it out from your mind while reading this, please.
> 
> Anyway, I am sorry again for being late for this update. Again, I may upload the next chapter later today, who knows, maybe in an hour or so, and if not today most likely tomorrow.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter and look forward to the next. Please don't forget to review and leave a kudos. Bye for now!


	10. A Deadly New Start

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Freddy must explain to Mike about the night everything changes for the robotic family. It will not be an easy tale for the bear.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I did say I would probably also upload this chapter today, and here it is! Two uploads in one day, whoop!
> 
> I hope you all enjoy this chapter, but I do need to warn you.  
> Warning: There are mention and details of characters' death in this chapter. It's fnaf, so I'm sure most of you would be expecting that, but I figured I should put up a warning just in case.
> 
> Other than that, there is a lot of emotional pain in this chapter for some of the characters. I don't know if that would be an issue, especially since there has already been some of that in previous chapters, but there is definitely a lot in this chapter. So yeah, in conclusion not a happy chapter.

The door to the restaurant opened and the animatronics plus an exhausted Mr. Fazbear, who was about to leave himself, turned to look over at Mike who struggled inside the building.

"For gods sake…" Mr. Fazbear complained, marching to the door and opening it for the guard.

He and Mike shared a tense look before the young man entered in fully. "Thanks…"

"No problem…" the owner gave a gruff noise in the back of his throat before looking over at the animatronics. "I'm out. You all…" he looked back at Mike, "and you, don't cause too much trouble for me tonight."

"Oh, right, wouldn't want to inconvenience  _you_ ," Mike commented, shooting his boss a glare.

"Thin ice, Mike…"

"Been on thin ice since day one, still don't see it cracking anytime soon." Mike ignored the heated stare to the back of his head as he approached the animatronics, happy to see the Toys were already out in the open. Mr. Fazbear let out an annoyed noise before he exited, locking the doors behind him. Mike noted how quiet the place sounded and looked around. "All the other employees left already?"

"Yeah. Just us now," Chica answered with a smile. "You all well rested now?"

"Yep. Clean and not so sleepy anymore." Mike replied. "And ready for another night!"

Freddy looked at the clock, seeing it was just fifteen till eleven. "And it seems we have plenty of time for another round of our story for you."

"What I was hoping for. But first…" Mike settled in a spot between Foxy, who sat at a table nearest to the stage, and Chica. "Tell me how your guys day was. I'm curious."

"There's nothing interesting to note for us," Freddy said.

"Yeah," Bonnie added. "We sang songs…oh and then we sang some songs. And at the end of the day, we sang songs! I tell ya, so much going on," he ended with a sarcastic tone.

Mike laughed with Bonnie before looking at Foxy and the Toys. "What about you guys? Nothing interesting to bring up?"

"Ya missed Bon-Bon trying to tidy up me cove…" Foxy gave a teasing glare at the blue bunny who rolled his eyes.

"It's filthy in there!" he defended.

"I like me filth."

"How can anyone enjoy being surrounded by broken tables, old and outdated decorations that are molding, I swear, and dust and grim coating literally everything?" Bon-Bon visibly shuddered at the mention of the state of pirate's cove. "I swear I feel like  _I_ get covered in all the dirt just by standing in that place.

"Ya don't like it, ya can hang out in the basement again.

"No, that room is worse…" Bon-Bon shook his head at the fox's suggestion.

Mike looked around the state of the showroom as well as remembered how all the other rooms are like. "You know, Bon-Bon brings up a good point though. This entire building isn't really the cleanest. I'm shocked it passed any inspections honestly."

"Thank god, I'm not the only one to notice!" Bon-Bon spoke.

Freddy shrugged his shoulders. "Mr. Fazbear may be a lot of things, but he is damn good at keeping a restaurant going even if the state of the place is not exactly suitable. He knows how to get around problem after problem."

Mike remembered how Mr. Fazbear basically threatened and bribed the guard to keep quiet about everything he has learned and will learn and nodded his head. "Yeah, trust me, I've seen it personally…"

Freddy didn't question the implications Mike may have shown before looking around the building himself. "I also know this place is most likely not up to any proper coding. Heck, I don't even think our fire alarms work right or the sprinklers. I mostly think they are up for show."

"Wait, really!?" Mike turned a worried look up at the nearest sprinkler at him. "Well that's definitely concerning."

The bear shrugged again. "I agree, but there isn't much we can do. Just something we have to put up with. I don't know much about the behind the scenes side of the business, but I do know we make just enough money to keep the place opened, but not enough for any renovations."

"Jeez, really?"

"Yeah…" Bonnie was the one who answered this time. "I'm pretty sure we may be the reason behind that. Not exactly cheap to keep us in working condition while in turn having to constantly throw money around to keep the night guards getting killed as much as a secret as possible." Bonnie leaned back in the chair he sat in. "I mean, there is a reason why we only have  _one_  engineer who works for Mr. Fazbear. Less to pay and less likely for someone to catch onto what's been going on here at nights."

"So, that Scott guy, Freddy mentioned in his story, really is the only one who works on you guys? No one else?"

"Nope," Bonnie shook his head. "As far as I know, Scott is the only one who made us all. With minor help from Daniel on occasion for us four," Bonnie gestured between him, Freddy, Chica, and Foxy.

"Man…I gotta say that's impressive. One guy building all of you with only a little bit of help." A thought crossed the guard's mind and he curiously looked over at the others. "Say, if this guy is so important in the backstory of how you guys were made, how come I haven't met him yet?"

"Mr. Fazbear hasn't called for Scott in years. The cover-up story is because we haven't been needing any major repairs and we don't need any new animatronics. But it's mostly so Scott doesn't accidentally see or hear something relating to the deaths going on around here. Scott used to visit us every other week or so, but eventually, that moved onto once a month and now…well we haven't seen Scott in over a year."

"I hope the guy's doing alright," Bonnie spoke. "He was the only human employee, beside you Mike, who ever treated us with respect."

Freddy turned to the purple rabbit. "I think he may be okay. One day when I was walking around with the children, I overheard Mr. Fazbear on the phone with Scott. They actually seemed to be having a pleasant conversation."

"Are the two friends?" Mike asked curiously.

"As far as I know, yes," Freddy answered. "Scott told us one day that he and Mr. Fazbear met when he just got out of college and when Mr. Fazbear first had plans for the diner. The two worked together to try and make a diner that no one has ever witnessed before, which is why they had the bright idea to make Fredbear and Spring. Apparently, Mr. Fazbear was inspired by animatronics in theme parks and asked Scott to make his own version."

"Wow, that's actually kind of interesting! Man, I would love to speak to this Scott guy and learn even more."

Freddy laughed. "You are so curious, Mike."

"What can I say, I always loved learning the history of things. And I know you guys don't get out much, but you all really are something amazing. I've been to theme parks before that have animatronics and none of them are like you guys. I mean, I know you guys just put on an act during the day, but those other animatronics out there in the world are just plain machines. No personality like you guys."

"That's sweet of you to say, Mike," Freddy replied with a smile.

"Wait," Chica tilted her head. "You mean to tell me that other animatronics don't walk around and talk like we do?!"

Mike laughed and shook his head. "Unless they are all secretly as alive as you guys during the night, then I doubt it. But to be fair, I don't see that many animatronics on a daily basis besides you guys. To my knowledge, you all are the only ones like this. One of a kind."

Bonnie scoffed, giving an ego-filled grin. "Ya think we would be more popular if that were the case."

"Well ya never know!" Foxy slapped a paw on Mike's back, giving him a cheeky grin. "With Mikey by our sides again and givin' us the confidence we lost before, maybe now we can step up and make this place even better than before!"

"That's the attitude I like, Foxy," Freddy said with a smile.

Mike shook his head, laughing. "Come on guys, don't say stuff like that. You're gonna make be blush."

"Yar, har, har! I only be telling the truth lad. I really do have a good feeling ya will be the key to bringing the change we need around here."

"I can only do so much, Foxy…" Mike suddenly remembered something from back at the hospital and gasped. "Oh! Yeah, this actually reminds me. You guys are going to have a birthday party to celebrate next week. A little girl." Mike grinned mischievously. "The doctor who did my surgery mentioned her and Mr. Fazbear and I convinced him to bring her here."

"Wow really!?" Chica said excitedly. "We haven't had a kid come in for a birthday party in months."

"Aaaaand," Mike continued, his smirk never leaving. "I may have mentioned to the doctor we would have a return of the best pirate to ever sail the seven seas!"

Foxy's mouth dropped open at the reveal, eyepatch flying up so both eyes could be locked onto the guard. "Ya can't be serious…"

"I am!" Mike grinned at him in joy. "I don't know why Mr. Fazbear closed down your act, but I'm going to make sure you make a comeback! Heck, I will volunteer to fix up Pirate's Cove myself, if I have to."

"I…I don't know, lad…this all…" Foxy's body tensed up as he unsurely looked down at the table. "I haven't performed in years, Mikey. Not long after ya moved away, I was shut down and forgotten…if it weren't for the others, Mr. Fazbear would have tossed be in the basement just like…" he trailed off, but his gaze briefly looked over at the Toys.

Mike reassuringly placed a hand on Foxy's shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "Hey, this could be your chance to actually be back in the show! Mr. Fazbear didn't look too happy, I won't lie, but that little girl will be looking for you. And she's going to look up at your stage and see you do what you do best! Be the best damn pirate fox who is always brave and cunning against all those who dare to stand in your way!"

Foxy grinned at that, remembering the days when he would say similar things to his audience.

"Don't you want to be able to entertain kids again? To make them smile and have them cheer for  _you_  again!? This could be your chance, and I'm going to make sure you get there."

Foxy looked down, still not sure on how to feel. Suddenly another hand was placed at his other shoulder. He looked up to see Freddy smiling down at him.

"Come on now. The restaurant hasn't been the same without the infamous Captain Foxy running around, and you know it."

Foxy couldn't stop his large toothy grin at that before he pulled back in his seat and stood up, hand and hook rushing to his hips and letting his eyepatch fall back in place. "Yar, har, har! This captain is coming back!"

The animatronics and Mike gave a cheer at the display before Mike pulled his wheelchair back to be closer to the fox and gave his best friend a hug.

"Thank ya, lad," Foxy said, hugging him back tightly. "See? Making the change, like I said."

"Come on," Mike shrugged in Foxy's grip. "I just wanted to help my best friend. You were always a hero in my eyes, Foxy. I just wanted to let other kids see just how amazing you are."

Foxy pulled back but kept his arms at Mike's shoulders. "And ye be my best friend too, lad. I couldn't have asked for a better first mate. And ye are doing so much for all of us." Foxy lifted his paw to ruffle Mike's hair, earning a laugh and gentle swipe of Mike's hands to stop him. "I be so proud of ye."

A warm feeling filled Mike's chest at hearing those words. He grinned sheepishly and cleared his throat. "Well, I have to be honest, Mr. Fazbear never brought it up after the doctor left, but I know he'll remember. And he probably will fight it, but he can't stop much if say a fully repaired Foxy was to wonder out, right?"

"That be a devious plan, Mikey. I like it!" Foxy chortled.

Freddy smirked. "I suppose if we three just so happened to decide to take a break at lunch time, which happens to be our busiest time, there wouldn't be nothing wrong with a certain fox coming around to fill our spot up for a while."

"You mean it, Cap'n? I could come out then!?"

"Of course, Foxy." Freddy shook his head. "I don't see anything wrong with letting you have the spotlight for a while. You deserve it after being away for so long."

Foxy was so excited he began to run around the room. "Yar! I be so happy! I can't wait!"

Bon-Bon rolled his eye playfully. "First, you need to stop and think for a moment, Foxy. You are still damaged,  _and_ the cove is still a wreck…would be less of a wreck if you had let me finish cleaning it…"

"Shut it with that," Foxy teased.

"The point is, we should think about patching you up a bit and getting the cove in tip-top shape."

Fred stood up to get the attention. "We could help with some of that during the day. If all goes well, we could have the place looking just as good, if not better, then it was in the past."

"You all would really do that for me?"

"Of course!" Chicky agreed.

Mangle shakily walked over to their counterpart and hugged him as an answer, resting their head on Foxy's shoulder. The pirate smiled at them, patting their back before helping them back to a seat.

Mike let out a content sigh as he leaned back in his wheelchair. He noticed Freddy at his side and looked up to see the bear beaming down at him. "You did good, Mike."

"All I did was tell a guy about Foxy."

"And yet look at how much joy it brought him." Freddy gestured to the fox who was speaking rapidly to the Toys about what they could do to the cove. "I haven't seen that fox have this much energy in a while. I know Mr. Fazbear will be a challenge to get around, but I do believe we could have Foxy officially return to the public."

"Why was Foxy shut down in the first place?" Mike questioned, looking up at Freddy.

The bear sighed deeply. "A lot of parents were afraid of him."

"What? Why?"

"It…it's related to an incident that happened in the previous location. An incident known as the Bite…"

"The Bite…" that sounded familiar to the guard. Suddenly it clicked as he recalled his recording with the Phone Guy. "Wait, I heard about that…kind of. But I have like no clue what that is."

Freddy grinned sadly at him before clapping his paws together. "Then I guess I should start the story again because after a few more details I need to mention you can learn all about the Bite. However," Freddy looked over at the Toys who were distracted by Foxy. "I think that part should be shared by them."

"Them?" Mike looked at the Toy animatronics before back at the brown bear.

"Yes. I'm afraid it is mostly related to them. The four of us weren't really fully activated when the Bite even happened. You'll…you'll understand when we get to that part." Freddy patted him on the back softly before making a beeline to the stage and sitting down at the edge. "Everyone, enough for now. We can go in more detail for Pirate's Cove later. For now, let me tell Mike more of our story before midnight, alright?" Freddy looked up at the clock, seeing they had just a few minutes over an hour to go.

He watched as the animatronics and Mike came over, Bonnie deciding to rest next to the bear, looking ready to jump in with any details he remembered. Freddy grinned at him before looking at Mike who made sure he was right in front of the bear and rabbit.

He shook his head at the act before sighing deeply. He knew exactly where he should pick up on. Bonnie knew where they should pick up on. The two were tense, both not looking ready to share the next bit of their history. But Mike deserved to know. He deserved to know about  _them_  finally. Freddy locked his eyes on the guard before he started the tale.

* * *

_Many years have gone by since the restaurant first opened up. Over ten years to be more accurate. The company has never been so popular with Freddy and Bonnie being such a big hit with the kids. Fredbear and Spring would then keep the kids entertained as much as they could while Freddy and Bonnie took small breaks, but as the years went by, Freddy and Bonnie could see the two older animatronics just weren't keeping up like they used to._

_Their joints were proving harder to move around. It gotten to the point that they would randomly spaz out during the day, their arms and legs locking up, making them stay immobile. The kids would complain that the two yellow animatronics wouldn't do anything and grow bored with them. So, Freddy and Bonnie were forced to pick up the pace and keep the children's attention while Spring and Golden tried to get control of their bodies again._

_It was the middle of a day, no different than any other, when Freddy told the children he and Bonnie would be back to sing them more songs and play with them in a short bit. The kids let out groans of disappointment before they decided to focus their attention on the games around the building._

_When the stage lights automatically died down from Freddy's cue, he and Bonnie turned their gaze over at Spring and Golden who were standing to the side of the building by themselves._

_Freddy couldn't help but notice not only where they clearly moving with less fluidity than in the past, but even there once bright fur was starting to lose the shine they once held. It saddened the brown bear as he stepped off the stage with Bonnie and made his way over to his brothers._

" _Hey, Freddy! Bonnie!" Golden greeted with a bright smile, having to force his arms up to hug the approaching duo._

" _Sup bros!" Bonnie replied, hugging Golden tightly. He cautiously looked at Spring and offered a hand to him. "Hey, Spring. Nice to see you!"_

_Spring shot him a dark look before looking at Freddy. "Taking a break already, Freddy? Can't handle the kids today?"_

_Bonnie visibly deflated at the way the older rabbit ignored him. Freddy instinctively placed a paw on the purple bunny's shoulder to calm him down, something he's gotten in the habit of doing to calm his distressed brother._

_Golden gave Spring a scolding look before clearing his throat. "You know, you guys are doing great this morning! Are those new songs? I don't recognize them?"_

" _Y-yeah!" Freddy grinned proudly. "Bonnie and I have been thinking of new material for the kids. We've been working on some new songs all week."_

" _That's amazing you two! Spring, isn't that something!?"_

_The rabbit rolled his eyes as a response. "They are still singing a random song. Don't see the big deal."_

_Golden groaned. "Don't be difficult. You know that the fact they wrote their own song is impressive!" He looked over at the younger bear and rabbit and smirked. "Don't listen to him. He's just jealous he never could write a proper song on his own."_

_Spring glared sharply at Golden, forcing an arm to move so he could smack the back of the bear's head. Unfortunately for him, his movements were so slowed Fredbear was able to dodge the mini attack with ease. "Why you…"_

_Fredbear laughed teasingly at Spring. "Oh, come on now. No need to be so irritated all the time. Jeez, for someone who always says I need to loosen up, you really don't know how to have fun lately."_

" _I know how to have fun!" Spring defended, going to cross his arms, but found it difficult to move them again. "Damn it! Again! Ugh! When is Scott going to come back in to fix us up? It's been forever!"_

_Freddy tilted his head. "Yeah, why hasn't Scott come in lately. I thought Mr. Fazbear said he would contact him."_

_Golden shrugged his shoulders. "I'm sure Scott will come around soon. I actually overheard Mr. Fazbear on the phone with him a few days ago."_

" _Really? What did he say?" Spring questioned, finally getting his arms to move._

" _Well, I think 'overheard' is a bit of an overstatement. I mostly just picked up bits and pieces of Mr. Fazbear's side of the conversation. But I definitely heard the word 'animatronic' before I was distracted by some children."_

" _Really now?" Spring narrowed his eyes suspiciously but shrugged his shoulders, in the end, to drop the thoughts crossing his mind. "Well, that's a good sign for us…I guess…"_

" _It should be," Fredbear agreed. I would say by the end of the week we'll be good as new."_

" _I would think you two are just in need of a new upgrade in your endoskeletons," Bonnie commented. "Don't you two still have those old design ones. The…what were they called again?"_

" _The springlock suits," Golden answered. "And yeah. Still, fit for any human who may need to wear our suits incase we are too busted to work." Golden demonstrated this, by pulling back the bit of suit on his arm to show off the specially designed endoskeleton. All the metal, wires, gears, and other such pieces that kept Fredbear working were specially crafted to leave a hollow space in the center of his suit. Just large enough for a skinny enough human to slip inside and wear the endoskeleton plus the bear suit as a costume._

" _Whoa, weird!" Bonnie spoke in awe. "Did you guys ever need someone to wear your suits before?"_

_Fredbear shook his head. "Not that I recall. Spring and I have always been a success and never really shut down since Scott finished making us."_

" _As much as I hate to say it…Bonnie is right about what he said," Spring spoke, glaring down at his body._

" _Wait, I am!?"_

_Spring nodded, rolling his eyes. "Yeah, you're not as stupid as you look, I guess…"_

" _I'm…going to take that as a compliment," Bonnie responded nervously._

" _But seriously, why hasn't Scott replaced our endoskeletons yet. You'd think he'd start that after this one was finished being made." Spring gestured to Bonnie. "We are outdated and need an upgrade."_

" _Maybe that's why Scott hasn't come in for a while," Freddy suggested. "He just needed time to work on a new endoskeleton for you guys."_

_Golden beamed at that. "There you go, Spring. That makes sense."_

" _I suppose…" Spring slowly leaned back against the wall. "Just wish he'd hurry up. I'm sick of freezing up._

_Golden patted the back of his brother's back. "I know you are. I am too. But all we can do is be patient. A skill you lack at, I know, but maybe this could be good practice."_

_Spring couldn't stop the warm smile that lit up his face as he tried to hit at Golden again. "Okay, you! You need to shut it with the insults!"_

" _Have I really been insulting you that much lately? I guess you are finally rubbing off on me. Took you long enough."_

_Spring chuckled. "Okay, that's it you!"_

_Freddy and Bonnie laughed as Spring tried to grab at Fredbear again, only for the yellow bear to take advantage of Spring's body locking up and backing away._

_The four animatronics were so focused on each other, that they didn't notice a figure step up behind them. "Hey!" The four froze before looking over at Daniel who glared darkly at each one. He gruffly gestured to the stage. "You two, back up there. Break time is over!"_

_Freddy and Bonnie's ears flattened against their heads before slowly walking away, saying a brief goodbye to their older brothers. Freddy let Bonnie walk away first. He decided to take small steps so he could purposely listen in closer to whatever Daniel had to say next to his brothers. Ever since that night he and the others eavesdropped on him and Mr. Fazbear, Freddy vowed to keep a closer eye on the man._

" _And you two…" Daniel started, placing his hands to his hips. "I want you both to head to the supply room."_

_Freddy fully stopped in his place when he heard that, thankful Daniel's back was to him._

_Spring narrowed his eyes and glared at the human. "And why should we?"_

" _Orders from Mr. Fazbear. I don't know. I just do as I told, which you guys should be doing."_

_Fredbear leaned over to Spring. "It could be about our upgrades. Let's just go." He stepped back before approaching Daniel. The human visibly flinched, taking a few steps away. Golden noticed but tried not to comment. "Thanks for the heads-up Daniel." He smiled at the human and placed a paw on his shoulder. "You know, I know you don't seem to like us, but I'm happy you look out for us still. You really are a valuable member of the team, huh?"_

_Daniel's eyes darkened, looking intensely at the paw on his shoulder before slowly looking back up to lock with Golden's blue eyes. "Like I said…" he roughly shoved Golden's paw away. "I'm only doing what un…what Mr. Fazbear tells me to do. Now, why don't you two move it alread-."_

_Suddenly the front door slammed open, making the guard jump in his skin, green eyes blowing wide as he slapped a hand to his chest to calm his racing heart._

_Fredbear worriedly went to grab him to keep Daniel steady, but the guard yanked back. "Don't! Don't touch me!" he screamed, drawing a few eyes in their direction, including the ones that slammed the door opened a second ago._

_There were five children standing at the door, two of them wearing party hats. The parents to the children were behind them, cautiously looking at the man in the purple uniform._

_Fredbear noticed the curious and worried glances from the parents and children before he chuckled nervously and waved in their direction. "Welcome to Freddy Fazbear's Pizza! Please enjoy your stay here and have fun!"_

_Daniel glared over his shoulder at the children, his gaze piercing into their backs as they shrugged and ran ahead, much to their parents' dismay._

" _Jeez, way to freak out in front of the birthday kids," Spring commented, grinning at Daniel. "Looks like the twins showed up for their party, huh?"_

_Daniel took a deep breath before turning away. "Just get to the supply closet already!"_

" _Daniel!" Fredbear called to him. "Wait! I wanted to apologize for-."_

_The human was already a good distance away before the bear could finish. He sighed, shaking his head. "I just wish we could get along."_

" _Relax, Goldie," Spring shrugged his shoulder. "That guy's related to Mr. Fazbear. Maybe it's just in their family's nature to hate us." He patted a hand on the bear's back before stepping forward. "Come on. Let's just get going before one of them comes yelling at us again."_

_Golden nodded before following after his brother. He noticed Freddy watching from the side and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry about us, Freddy," he spoke when he noticed the brown bear's concerned expression. "The birthday boy and girl arrived just now with their friends. You should go sing them a song."_

_Freddy looked over at a table where the five children from earlier sat and chatted to each other excitedly. He noticed at the head of the table a pair of twins. A boy with short brown hair with bangs sweeping across his face and the tips ending just above his ears. Over his brown eyes were a pair of thick glasses that looked to be sliding off his small round face. Next to him was a young girl with a matching face and eyes. Only she didn't wear glasses and her hair swept down around her body and ending at the middle of her back._

_Freddy couldn't help but smile happily at them before turning back to his brothers. Spring waved him off. "Go, go! Sing your special song you wrote yourself…" There was an edge in the yellow rabbit's voice that Freddy picked up on and he smirked at Spring._

" _You_ are _jealous Bonnie and I wrote our own song!"_

_If Spring could he would blush as he glared at the lead singer. "Go before I smack your face off."_

_Freddy laughed as he waved at his brothers and went to meet up with Bonnie who waited patiently for him to return._

* * *

_Freddy sighed tiredly as he plopped against the wall near the stage, crossing his arms. "Boy…I think that was our busiest night in a while!"_

_Bonnie nodded as well, placing his guitar down. "I agree. I lost track of which kid was which. I don't even know where the birthday boy and girl went. Did we manage to sing them a happy birthday song? I can't even remember now."_

" _We did. But they ran off shortly after to play a game with their friends. I did see Spring in the corner talking to them, but that's when the dinner rush came in and I lost track of them."_

" _Eh, oh well. We did our job. That's what matters…" Bonnie joined Freddy's side, deciding to spend the last of the night watching the last of the humans start to make their way out of the restaurant with their exhausted children._

" _Should we go find Fredbear and Spring?" Freddy suggested. "We can go see what they've been up to all day."_

" _Sure!" Bonnie pushed himself off the wall. "Sounds like a-."_

_There was a loud sob that erupted in the showroom and Bonnie stopped midsentence as he and Freddy looked over at Mr. Fazbear office where multiple adults walked out in a hurry._

" _Please!" a woman cried, mascara coating her face as it mixed with the tears. "Please, they were here! I know they were!"_

" _Ma'am," Mr. Fazbear started in a calm manner, Daniel stepping up behind him. "We have search everywhere three times and we haven't found them. The backdoor to our restaurant was opened up but none of my employees left, I swear. So maybe it was_ them _who wondered out." He lifted his hands to cup the distressed woman's own hands in his own. "But we will search high and low once again until we find your children. I swear to you."_

" _Kids went missing?" Bonnie whispered worriedly, exchanging a look with Freddy._

" _They wouldn't have run away out the back!" a man screamed. "My Sammy and Shawn are good kids! Those two know not to leave without us!"_

" _I'm not saying they aren't!" Mr. Fazbear spoke up._

_Daniel stepped between the two. "Sir, I personally will not rest until I find your children." He gave a rare sincere smile at the father in an attempt to comfort and reassure the man. "This is a tragedy that should never have happened, but that doesn't mean we will not find them. I'm sure they got lost. This place is rather big. We have called the police and they are searching the area around here as we speak."_

" _Where are they then!?" the father demanded. "How come we haven't seen one police officer since we lost track of the kids!_

_Another mother stepped up, tears also covering her face. "They haven't even come to question what our children look like! How can they find my Timmy if they don't even know how he looks!?"_

_Daniel stepped up to her, wrapping a steady arm around her shoulder. "The police explained to me that they want each of you to go to the station for a full report. Meanwhile more of their men are searching the area as we speak. I promise you." He gently guided a few of the parents to the door. "Come by tomorrow morning right as the place opens, which is at six in the morning, and I'll be here to explain any news we gathered during the night."_

" _And…and you'll be here all night?!" a different father asked._

" _All night," Daniel reassured. "I am a guard here. And I promise you, I am not going to stop looking for them. The second I find out anything I'm calling you all and the police."_

" _You better!" the first father screamed. "In all my years, I never seen such unprofessionalism! Even when my children are found, you all will not be hearing the end of this from me! Do you understand!?"_

_Mr. Fazbear nodded his head, pushing the man with more force then he intended out the door. "I understand. I really do." Mr. Fazbear and Daniel stepped outside with the parents, the door closing behind them. They all continued to talk to each other, but anything said further was muffled to the two animatronics listening from a distance._

_Freddy and Bonnie, shared a scared look at the news they discovered before rushing down the stage and racing to the supply room to find Golden and Spring to see what they knew._

_When they approached the room, the first thing that they noticed that was odd was the door was unlocked but blocked by something heavy. Freddy confusedly looked over at Bonnie before the two silently agreed to push the door open together. With their combined strengths, it didn't take long to start to budge the door open, the sound of metal scrapping the ground could be heard on the other side._

" _What's blocking this?" Bonnie questioned as they finally made enough room for them to slip in one at a time._

" _I don't…know?"_

_The room was dark. That was another red flag in Freddy's eyes. Normally the room would be lit brightly, just as the other rooms were, but to find the place coated in darkness made Freddy's body tense up. He traced his paw against the wall for the light switch when his foot hit the object that blocked the door. He sighed, looking down when he had trouble finding the switch and switching on the lights behind his eyes instead._

_The first thing he noticed was a large yellow foot. Warning signs flashed in his mind as he raced around the other side of the object and found it was none other than Golden leaning against the door. His eyes were dark, and his body was limp. He was deactivated!_

" _Golden!? Fredbear! What happened!?" Freddy questioned as he awkwardly reached behind Golden's head and tried to activate him again._

_Bonnie squeezed in the room, also switching on his eye lights before kneeling down just in time as Freddy found the control switch to Fredbear and the yellow bear started to boot back up._

_It took only a few seconds before Golden sprang up in a panic, startling the two. He gasped for air, looking around before he settled his sight on Freddy and Bonnie, thankful for the lights that emanated from their eyes. "Guys! Thank goodness it's just you!"_

" _Golden? What happened? Why were you deactivated?"_

_Fredbear shook his head, struggling to place a paw to his temple. "I…I don't know. Spring and I just walked in the room and the second I stepped in the lights went out. I felt a hand at the back of my head shortly after that and blacked out. The next thing I know I was waking up just now."_

" _You mean, you don't even know who did it?" Freddy demanded._

" _No. I don't. What time is it?"_

" _Golden," Bonnie spoke up. "Some kids went missing."_

" _What!?" Fredbear started to stand up. "What!? When did this happen?"_

" _We don't know. Mr. Fazbear and Daniel are speaking to the parents right now. We came to find out if you guys knew anything."_

_The yellow bear stumbled back in shock, Freddy and Bonnie moving to try and keep him stable. "No…I…Oh my goodness. I hope they are okay?" He looked around the dark room, wishing he had lights in his eyes like Freddy and Bonnie. "Where is Spring?"_

_Freddy looked around the room, his lights only luminating so much of the dark room. "Not sure. We only found you because you were blocking the door."_

" _I was?" Golden looked at said door curiously._

" _Yeah, your body was blocking it from letting us in. Good thing Freddy and I are strong, or I don't think we would have gotten in so easily."_

_Golden didn't like where all this new information he was gathering was going as he tried to find the light switch. "First, let's find Spring. Maybe he knows something."_

_Freddy remembered something and tapped Golden's shoulder to get his attention again. "Actually, I did see Spring earlier. He was far away from the stage, so I didn't talk to him, but he was walking around with the birthday kids and their friends."_

" _Really?" Fredbear shook his head confused. "That's odd. You'd think he would notice if I was deactivated. I would think he would try and wake me up instead of going off in the showroom."_

_Bonnie and Freddy thought about it before nodding their heads in agreement. "Hey, yeah!" Bonnie said. "That is weird then."_

_Golden suddenly felt something hit his fingertips and he grinned. "Ah ha!" he exclaimed when he found the light switch. "Finally, now we can look around-!"_

_The lights went on and lit up the room. But none of the animatronics seemed to care about the light situation any longer as they instantly were greeted with a horrific sight._

_Five little bodies littered the ground. Each one coated in a pool of blood. Three girls and two boys. Each child was slumped against each other, their bodies mutilated. Their throats were slit in an ugly line while their chests were covered in stab wounds. The blood coated their clothing, leaving the original design indescribable. It was all just that dark terrifying red. All that the animatronics could make out from their appearance was that the little girls were wearing dresses or skirts and the boys wore shorts. That was it. No wait…_

_Freddy noticed two of the kids, a boy and a girl, had party hats that were fallen down and wrapped around their necks. Birthday hats…? The birthday boy and girl!_

_The sight of the children was enough to make the three animatronics fall to their knees in horror, but it was the final figure to the side of the kids that made them burst into confused and scared tears._

_Spring's body sat at the ground next to them. His body was limp, like Fredbear's was, his eyes were slid shut. But it wasn't his inactiveness that distressed the other animatronics, it was the fact his body was coated in the very blood of the children, splattered messily against his chest and arms._

" _I don't…I don't understand!" Freddy screamed out, crawling back in his position on the ground. "What…what happened!?"_

_Bonnie was sobbing, shakenly reaching for Freddy for anything that could calm his racing thoughts. "No! No, no, no, no, no, no!" Bonnie shook his head, still reaching for Freddy. "We didn't…we couldn't have known! This can't be happening! This can't be happening!"_

_Fredbear was visibly shaking. He kept looking from the lifeless children to Spring's unmoving body. He needed answers! He needed answers now! He took the initiative and slowly, oh so slowly, walked over to Spring. With large tears in his eyes, he collapsed by his brother and reached for the switch that would activate the rabbit._

_Spring took a minute to fully turn back on, but when he did, he let out a long groan, slowly going to blink his eyes open. The first thing he notice was the crying Freddy and Bonnie who were shaking on the other side of the room. A protective instinct washed over the rabbit as he sat up, ready to do anything to make the two calm down. "Freddy? Bonnie? What's wrong!?"_

" _Spring Bonnie!" Fredbear's voice boomed in his right ear and he turned to see the just as freaked out Golden looking at him._

" _Fredbear? What's going on? Why are-." Spring lifted a paw up to rest on Golden's shoulder when he noticed the blood coating his fingers. He jumped back, completely stunned by the splash of red on him. That's when he looked down at the rest of his body and noticed the rest of the blood that stained his fur. His eyes were blown wide in shock as he tried to look around for a reasonable explanation._

_That's when he saw the bodies. He yelped in fear, scurrying back and rushing into Golden's arms accidentally. "Fred-Fredbear!? What the hell is going on!?"_

" _You don't know!?" Fredbear demanded._

" _No! Why…why the hell am I covered in blood!? Why…why are those kids…oh god, please tell me they are okay!?"_

_Golden grabbed at Spring, trying to get him to calm down and look back at him. "Spring, think! Do you remember anything that happened!? About who may have done this!?"_

" _NO! Of course I don't! I…I didn't…Did I do this!?" Spring was panicking as he began to tremble in his brother's arms, tears streaming down his face as he looked around frantically, as if the answers would just pop out at him._

_Fredbear shook his head. "No. There is no way you would do this…"_

_The door to the room opened up as a new voice spoke up. "You didn't…"_

_It was Daniel as he slid into the room._

" _Daniel!" Freddy called. He stood up, reaching a paw out desperately at the guard for help. "The kids! They…they are-!"_

_Without so much as a warning, Daniel leaned down and reaching for the back of their bear's head and flipping Freddy's switch. He watched as the brown bear animatronic deactivate and fall to the ground with a harsh thump._

" _Freddy!" Spring instantly stood up, snarling his teeth at the guard. "Why the hell did you do-!?" Spring didn't get to finished as Daniel swiftly slid behind the rabbit and did the same exact thing to him. Spring's body tensed up before he was once again deactivated, tumbling to the ground._

" _No!" Golden nervously looked up at the guard who didn't show an ounce of emotion as he stepped over to the yellow bear and repeated the process, switching the animatronic off._

_Bonnie was the last one still active and he tried to back away quietly. He needed to run! He needed to get away from the night guard! He stood up, ready to bolt out the room, but Daniel was quicker, slamming the door shut before Bonnie could even reach for the handle._

" _No! Stay back!" he shouted in hopes the guard would leave him alone. Bonnie needed to get away. He needed to find help! He needed someone to know what was going on! His mind wandered to the parents of the children and he prayed that maybe they were still here. He took one final step away from the guard and raised his voice. "HELP! PLEASE IN HE-!"_

_Daniel glared at the rabbit before jumping at him. Bonnie flinched back in fear before he felt the human's cold hands reach for the back of his head. The last thing he saw was the five children before his vision went dark._

* * *

Bonnie was in tears as he finished off the rest of that part of the story for Freddy, since the bear wasn't active for the last few minutes of it. He was shaking, curling his knees up to his chest as he tried to calm himself down. Freddy instantly went to hug his brother, his own tears forming in his eyes.

"That day…" Freddy started. "I can't even begin to describe just how horrible that entire experience was."

Bonnie let out a sob. "We didn't know!" he suddenly screamed out as he remembered the horrifying event. "We didn't know they were in danger! I would have…If I had known, I would have…!"

"Shhh," Freddy quieted the rabbit down. "Shh, you are not responsible for any of that, Bonnie. You know that."

Bonnie couldn't respond as he cried in Freddy's chest, unable to form any more words.

"Those kids…" Mike looked over at the main four animatronics. "Those are the ones that are possessing you. Aren't they?"

Freddy nodded. "Yes. Shawn is with me," he explained.

"A little girl named Heather is with me," Chica quietly spoke up, her own tears in her eyes.

Foxy lifted a paw up. "A lad by the name of Timmy is with me."

"And…and a girl…Angelica, she's with me," Bonnie finished.

Mike looked around confused. "Wait…wait a second. There were five kids that…that died that night. Four of them are with you guys and Nick is possessing that…that one animatronic I saw the other night."

"The Puppet," Freddy corrected.

"Right…then…what about the final ghost?"

Freddy shrugged. "We don't really know much about her. All I know is her name is Sammy. I do know where she ended up after that night, but that requires a bit more information."

"What do you mean?" Mike looked confused. "I don't get it."

Freddy gave a shaky sigh before glancing at the clock. Still had a little over a half an hour left before midnight. He decided it was plenty of time to finish up this part of the tale.

* * *

_Freddy felt his consciousness return, but his body would not move. Not a single inch. He tried to move. Tried to speak. But nothing would work. He tried to open his eyes, but that didn't work. He was stuck with trying to figure out his surroundings with nothing but his ears. He could hear shuffling to his side and voices speaking hastily._

" _I cannot believe you, Daniel! I cannot believe you!"_

" _I'm sorry, uncle, I didn't mean to-."_

" _No! No, a simple, 'I'm sorry' will not cut this! For godsakes boy, do you even realize how fucked we are right now!?"_

_Freddy recognized the voices as Mr. Fazbear and Daniel, but he didn't understand what they were talking about._

" _Come on. I bought us some time with them. The police won't come searching this place until morning. They are stuck looking at a random location until they realize they are supposed to be here. We'll be done and this whole mess will be behind us faster than you realize."_

" _This plan of yours…it'll never work!"_

" _Do you really think police officers are going to search inside these things!? No! Just be grateful I've been helping Scott out with these other two so they were finished by today! Thank god we have extras to hide them all."_

_Mr. Fazbear let out a tired grunt before speaking again. "These two are brand new! I can chalk up Freddy and Bonnie for any damage this will cause them for them being old. But if these two starts breaking down their first week of being operating, then-."_

" _For crying out loud, uncle! They are robots! Advance robots sure, but still stupid robots,! No officer is going to be suspicious if robots don't work as they should. We'll say it's just technical issues." There was a pause before Daniel let out a small noise. "Ah ha! See!? You can barely tell the difference. These guys are big enough to hide each one and you can't even tell!"_

" _Fuck! Blood is seeping out!" Mr. Fazbear shouted in a panic._

" _Calm down, calm down!" Daniel could be heard smacking his uncle before he paused again. "Look, these guys have oil running through them like blood, right? We can just say this is oil."_

" _Really? Red oil?"_

" _It's just seeping out because this rabbit is on his back. Once he is standing, if any seeps out then it'll have mixed with the oil by that point. Easy fix. Plus, it'll just soak up in the suit as well. And we can blame those stains on pizza sauce from the customers. Those kids do like to get their grubby hands on the animatronics, right?"_

" _I…I suppose…"_

_Daniel sighed. "Look, this is all foolproof. By the time police knock on our doors in the morning, the kids will be so well hidden, and the room will be cleaned up that no one will suspect a thing. Another clean slate. We'll just spread the news that the kids ran out the back door and then anything could have happened to them then. We won't be held responsible."_

_Mr. Fazbear let out a strangled sigh. "I just…what the hell were you thinking!? I can't believe you! I told you to get help! I told you to get better! So, what the hell was going on in that damn head of-!?"_

_There was a loud crashing noise suddenly that made Freddy flinch, so to speak, as Daniel suddenly erupted in a fit of rage. "You think I wanted to do this!? You think I am happy with my actions!? You think I haven't TRIED to get better!? Damnit, of course I did! I looked for anyway to keep the nightmares from coming back! To keep my sanity in check! But every time I fall asleep! Every time I talk to anyone, I see_ him!  _I see him staring back at me! I see the way he looked at me! I hear him begging for help! I just…he won't get out of my head!"_

"…"  _Mr. Fazbear hesitated before whispering, "Daniel…"_

" _And then…then I remember back during the diner…when I would hang out with…with those two…I think about those good times and how they are all gone! How it all vanished! That one…" Daniel paused as if he were pointing at something, but Freddy couldn't guess to what with his eyes still shut tight, "he…he looked at me like he used to look at me in the past! Today, he talked to me like he used to! But…but," Daniel's voice started to tremble and a hint of a crazed laughter started to bubble up in his chest, "that's impossible, right!? He doesn't know me!" More laughter, slightly louder this time, came up. "He…how dare he act like he cares! Not after_ EVERYTHING _that happened! What a freaking idiot, right, uncle!? Hahahaha!"_

_The laughter was obvious, but Daniel's voice was straining as if he were crying. And then, as if someone threw a switch, the laughter died down. There was a beat of silence until Mr. Fazbear broke it. Though the older man's voice was shaking as if it was a great struggle just to speak._

" _So, what…you snap, and you let all your rage out on them? This…" the old man paused again. "I could overlook all your other actions of the past, but this time, Daniel…this time…I can't."_

" _What are you saying?"_

" _I'm saying that after we finish this job here…you're gone. I don't want to see you. I don't want to hear from you. I want you out of my life. Away from my business. Away from my animatronics. Do you understand me?" His voice was deathly calm, but there was a tremble in the back of his throat that prove to Freddy he was trying his hardest to keep his voice low._

" _Uncle F-."_

" _I SAID, DO YOU UNDERSTAND!?"_

_Never…never has Freddy heard Mr. Fazbear raise his voice like that. Never has Freddy heard such raw anger and pain mixed together in the old man's words._

_Daniel didn't answer with words, but from the way that he could hear shuffling again, he figured the younger man nodded. The two didn't speak again after that. All he could hear was rustling in the air before he felt a hand on his chest plate._

" _If Scott contacts you…tell him I ordered you to bring those two here. That's all you are allowed to say."_

_Daniel didn't answer again, at least not with his voice._

" _Now get out."_

_There were footsteps before Freddy heard a door open and close. There was silence…and then crying. Mr. Fazbear broke out in a soft whimper at first, before finally, he sobbed. Freddy felt a pressure fall on top of his chest and he figured Mr. Fazbear threw his body on top of Freddy's. The old man cried his heart out, his tears sliding down and soaking into the brown fur of the suit._

_Freddy didn't know how to process any of what he heard or what was happening right now. He especially didn't know how to handle the crying Mr. Fazbear, a man who always seemed to only show emotion when he was faking it during the day. This…this was something new and Freddy was at a loss._

_The owner stayed sprawled against the bear for what felt like hours before he slowly stood up, sniffling his nose before Freddy felt a hand to his neck before a button was pressed._

_The bear's eyes flung open. He suddenly could move! He sat up and instantly looked over at Mr. Fazbear who kept his face turned away. "I want you to repeat this to the others. You are not to speak to anyone. You are not to question anything. You_ do not _look within your suit until I say you can. Only when you are alone with any of the other animatronics can you act like yourselves. When a human…any human, an adult or child is in the room, you are to put on your act during showtime and that is it. Do you understand me?"_

" _I…" So many questions were rushing through Freddy's mind. "The children…where are-?"_

" _That is a question. What did I say about asking questions?"_

_Freddy snapped his mouth shut at the furious look Mr. Fazbear gave him. It was a look that screamed, 'Do not push me.'_

" _Now…do you understand what I said?"_

" _I…yes, sir…"_

" _Good, now…I order you to help me move these two…" Freddy finally took the time to look around and the first thing he saw wasn't one of his brothers, it was a fox and a chicken animatronic._

" _Who…who are they?"_

_Mr. Fazbear sighed before turning to see where Freddy was looking. "Meet your new…'brother and sister,'" he answered. "Foxy the Pirate Foxy and Chica the Chicken. I'm adding them into the act. But don't worry about who they are right now. I need you to help me move_ them _…" Mr. Fazbear pointed at Fredbear and Spring._

" _Guys!" Freddy stood up, going to run to his older brothers when he felt something shift inside him. Something heavy. He looked down and was shocked to see a faint line run across the center of his body. It wasn't super visible, but of course, Freddy would spot the difference in his own body in a second. He curiously ran his paw over the line, taking a step forward. He felt something move within him again, but thanks to the metal casing around his endoskeleton, no movement was obvious on the outside. But the bear could feel_ something _resting inside him. "Mr. Fazbear…there is something wrong…I feel…"_

" _Freddy…You agreed, remember?" Mr. Fazbear spoke in a warning tone. "No questioning things. Your new siblings are just an exception to the rule. But nothing else. Okay?" Freddy furrowed his brows as he watched the man grab at Golden's side. "Now come on. We need to move them to the edge of the supply room. Make them look inconspicuous."_

_Freddy wanted to speak out, but then he took notice of yet something else that was shocking. Spring's body was cut up, many holes were now decorating his body. The places where the holes mostly littered…Freddy noticed…was where the blood that coated him was mostly located. Now…the intentionally withered looking holes hid where the blood used to be. Freddy looked around before finding a pile of patches from Spring's suit nearby, each one coated in the red substance and no longer displaying that dark yellow color. The entirely new look for Spring made him look much older than he really was. Like he had been tossed away and forgotten for years! Even the left-over residue of blood that barely remained on the body itself ended up looking more like smudges of dirt that built up over the years, but the bear knew that wasn't the case. He knew just how fresh those stains were. Freddy wanted to question why Spring was in this state he was in, but he knew how his owner would respond._

_So, he sucked it up and stood up, moving to help Mr. Fazbear move Fredbear's body. Soon the two did the same for Spring and Mr. Fazbear grabbed the pile of scraps from Spring's suit and stuffed them in a bag he pulled from the side._

_Freddy took that time to observe the new animatronics, noticing Bonnie on the other side of the room next to them. He approached his younger brother, trying to see if he were activated, but couldn't get a clear sign. Freddy also noticed that he had a thin, almost undetectable line in the center of his chest. To an outsider, they probably wouldn't even notice the odd line, but Freddy could spot it in seconds. He ran a paw across it before looking over at the new animatronics once more._

" _Chica the chicken…and Foxy the pirate fox…" He shook his head, stunned. "Instead of fixing Fredbear and Spring, you ordered Scott to just make new animatronics so you could have a good excuse to get rid of them…didn't you."_

_Mr. Fazbear let out a gruff noise, adjusting his tie before starting to walk away. "You figure it out yourself if you are so curious. They aren't activated…well, Bonnie is, but those two are not. Bonnie is in standby mode like you were. Just press the button on the side of his neck and then the both of you carry those two to the showroom. I…I got some cleaning I have to take care of. Move it!"_

_Freddy shook his head, not sure how to feel. But he knew not to get his owner angry again, so he went to Bonnie and did as he was told. Bonnie instantly opened his eyes and he looked up at Freddy, tears already forming. He looked like he wanted to speak before Mr. Fazbear cut him off._

" _You heard what I told Freddy earlier. The same goes to you, got it? You both are in charge of telling those two the same thing."_

_Bonnie shook his head, narrowing his eyes to glare at the man. "What happened to the kids!? Where are they!? You can't expect me to not want to know!"_

_Mr. Fazbear stormed over to Bonnie, grabbing his face and jerking the rabbit forward. Freddy instinctively wanted to push the human away from his brother but knew it would only cause more trouble._

" _You listen to me…the kids are not your concern anymore. I took care of it all. And if I find out you have blabbed everything you know to the wrong person; I'll personally turn you into scrap metal, okay!?"_

_Bonnie looked like he wanted to fight back some more, but eventually, he nodded his head in defeat._

" _I'm glad we finally reached an understanding. Now…do what I say and move it!"_

_Freddy silently helped Bonnie stand on his feet. "Come on," he whispered before guiding him over to the new animatronics. "I got," he paused kneeling down, "…Chica…and you get Foxy."_

" _New siblings?" Bonnie shook his head, before slowly looking over in the corner where the older animatronics sat. "What about Fredbear and Spring?"_

_Freddy looked over at their older brothers too, seeing how they were slumped against each other, unmoving and eyes slid shut. "…We'll…we'll see them again later. Okay? After everything is taken care of." Freddy spoke what he felt like was the truth, but when the words came out, they felt like a lie to the bear and he hated that. Maybe it was because the words were really only what he wanted to be true._

"… _okay…" Bonnie did not look convinced as he picked up the fox animatronic, looking down at him warily. Freddy picked up Chica and the two carrying them off to the showroom._

_Once they were settled at the stage, Freddy sighed. "They are new, okay Bonnie. So big smiles."_

_Bonnie shook his head as he stared at the new robots. His ears flopped down and his mouth trembled. "Freddy, I can't!"_

" _Bonnie…I know…trust me, I know this is hard…but…those two," he looked over at the inactive animatronics. "They don't deserve to have such a sad greeting. Fredbear would want us to be happy and smiling when they wake up."_

_There was only a second of silence before the rabbit spoke up again. "They aren't coming back, are they?" he spoke in a hushed whisper in an attempt to keep his voice even. It didn't work._

_The bear held back his tears. He thought the same. He knew…he just knew when he and Bonnie walked out of the supply room back there…that would be the last time they would probably ever see Golden and Spring again. He forced away his tears and leaned closer to Bonnie, resting his head against the rabbits. "Hey," he started softly. "It'll be okay. I promise…"_

" _Freddy…what are we going to do now…without them…"_

_The bear watched as Bonnie started to break down in more tears, his paws lifting up to rest against his face. Freddy tried to come up with something inspiring. He tried to think of the perfect line that would bring a smile to Bonnie's face. Just like…just like Fredbear would do. A pain hit his chest hard at that. It was like a harsh slam against his body and it left a harsher sting. His own tears finally broke free, cascading down his face, dripping to his chest and running along that damn mysterious line across his body._

_Freddy opened his mouth, wishing and praying the proper answers would just slip past his mouth, but all that came out was, "I don't know." He shook his head. "I don't know Bonnie."_

_The rabbit sobbed again, moving to cling onto his brother. The two stood there, crying their hearts out. It hurt…the loss hurt more than either would expect. In all honesty, Fredbear and Spring being taken away was something the two were secretly getting ready for. Neither would have ever admitted to the other how they knew this day was coming, but they would still be mentally preparing themselves for the inevitable. The day the older animatronics started glitching up and drawing less attention from the children, they all knew their time was limited. But to have the day actually come was something else entirely than the days they prepared for it. And for it to happen after such a horrific event…Freddy and Bonnie didn't know how to function._

_They needed their older brothers. They needed Fredbear's wise leadership and calm nature. They needed his encouraging words that always seemed to come forth no matter what the situation was. They needed his strong and warm hugs and gentle smiles. They needed the way he would always be by their sides when one of them needed help._

_They needed Spring's rough yet honest attitude. They needed his calculating thoughts as he tried to figure out a problem his own way. They needed his tough exterior that would always show up as he would stand strong for the others, even if he would never admit to it out loud. They needed his secret soft side as he protectively watched over them all, ready to fight for them when the time was right._

_Yet, the two would not come out. They were not going to miraculously start walking out in the showroom, arms stretched wide for the younger two to rush into. They were not going to come strolling in with those two very different yet matching smiles, ready to reassure that everything would be okay now. No._

_Their brothers were gone, and there would be nothing Freddy or Bonnie could do to convince Mr. Fazbear to bring them back. Not after everything that happened. Not after these two newer and better modeled animatronics were finished._

_The air was tense from a mixture of the loss of Fredbear and Spring with the horrific events of the children, which Freddy still didn't know the conclusion of. His tears continued to flow down his body, soaking against the line of his chest._

_There was a heavy press against his endoskeleton again and Freddy let out a strained gasp as he pulled back from Bonnie, resting a paw to the line again. He looked down, shifting his body as he tried to feel the weight again._

" _I feel it too…" Bonnie whispered. He looked down at his own line across his chest so he could study it further. The line itself, Bonnie noticed started from the top of his chest and went all the way to the bottom of his stomach. When he pushed the bits of his fur away, he could see that the two halves of the front of his suit were actually stitched together, the thread used thick enough to withstand a lot of movement but thin enough to stay hidden under his purple fur. "There's something inside us…isn't there…"_

_Freddy nodded his head._

" _Do you know what it is?"_

" _I…I think I'm afraid of the answer…"_

" _Me too."_

_The two took a breath, exchanging looks before dropping their hands. The sight of the new animatronics at the corner of their eyes brought them back to the task they were supposed to do._

" _They have the same line down their chests…" Bonnie pointed out._

" _Let's not bring it to their attention," Freddy decided after a brief pause. "They…they don't deserve to know what…what might have happened."_

" _So what? Keep them in ignorance?"_

" _For now, I don't want their first day to be full of tragedy. They are our younger siblings now. They deserve the best." He gave a very dry chuckle. "After all, this is their b-birthday, right?" There was a heavy feeling that hit him at the mention of birthday._ It was  _their_  birthday too _…he thought solemnly, mind wondering to the children who, not only a few hours ago, were still happily running around the restaurant enjoying what was supposed to be their best day ever._

_Bonnie forced a smile at that. "Right! And what do we do best?" Bonnie wiped away his tears, though Freddy could tell he still wanted to cry as he put on an act._

_The two approached the animatronics, finding the switch to turn them on. "We celebrate birthdays…" Freddy answered and together, the two activated the new robots, watching the life come to their eyes._

_The first thing Foxy noticed was the big bear and rabbit smiling down at them. There was an odd look in their eyes, but the pirate ended up concluding it was excitement! After all, who wouldn't be excited to meet the infamous Captain Foxy!?_

_The first thing Chica noticed was a sign for pizza! That sure did sound yummy! Then she noticed the bear and rabbit and smiled up at them sweetly. Oh boy! It was her new bandmates! She recognized them! They looked so nice! They looked so fun! They…she gasped in surprise and realization before she stood up. "Big brothers!" She suddenly screamed at them when she realized just who they would be for her! She tackled them in a hug, laughing loudly. "Big brothers! I have big brothers!"_

_Foxy stood up, grinning widely. He noticed an odd feeling within his suit but shrugged it off and instead looked around. "Arg! And I have a hearty crew! Tell me landlubbers! Where be me mighty ship!?"_

_Chica gasped as he looked at Foxy. "Oh my goodness! Are you a real pirate! That's soooooo cool!"_

_Foxy grinned cheekily. "Well of course I be a real pirate! What else would I be!?"_

_Chica and Foxy broke out in excited chatter while Freddy and Bonnie watched._

_Bonnie felt his arm tense up. He knew he needed to be happy. He should be smiling and laughing along with them. In any other circumstance, he would. But he kept thinking of what transpired and the awful feeling in his suit and the motionless Fredbear and Spring in the supply room and he just…couldn't keep up the act like he thought he could._

_A sob broke through again and Foxy and Chica froze when they heard it. Freddy took in a breath and instantly pulled Bonnie into a hug again. Tears were threatening to fall from his eyes, but he forced them away as he patted Bonnie and looked at Chica and Foxy._

" _He's…just really overwhelmed. He's not used to being a big brother yet. You'll have to forgive him." It was a terrible lie and Freddy hated how the very first thing he said to his new family members was a lie. But…what was he supposed to say? He couldn't admit the truth to them. Especially not after seeing how happy and excited the two were. So, he forced the brightest smile he could muster to form on his face and laughed. Oh, how he hated the laugh that came from his mouth. It wasn't a real laugh in the slightest. It was strained and ended with an obvious tremble._

_But it seemed to work on Foxy and Chica who both grinned back at the two. "Oh, no need to worry about all that now! There be nothing intimidating about this here fox!"_

" _Oh, I know! How about we play a game to break the ice!" Chica suggested._

_Freddy chuckled at her. Maybe, if he kept laughing, he could convince himself of his own act. "What a fun idea, Chica. Give me and Bonnie a moment and we'll join you. Okay, sister?"_

_Chica squealed at being called sister before nodding excitedly and pulling Foxy to the side so the two could come up with an idea for the four of them to do._

_Bonnie, meanwhile, wouldn't stop crying in Freddy's arms._

* * *

Foxy and Chica's eyes were wide as they realized just what was going on that night. Never has Freddy or Bonnie admitted the truth about the day they woke up for the first time. Neither knew…and they didn't even realize just how unaware they were of the tragedies that were only rooms away at the time. "So…" Chica started. "You two just…" she paused to gather her thoughts. "All that happened right before we were activated!?"

Freddy nodded solemnly. "I'm afraid so. We… _I_ couldn't tell you both. I'm sorry I lied to you, but…it was just a lot going on."

Bonnie rubbed his eyes and sniffled. "I'm sorry I broke down in front of you two…I'm also sorry if it looked like I didn't care you guys were there. I am happy Scott made you two. I love both of you so much, but I..." he stopped to take a deep breath. "I really was overwhelmed, just not for the reason Freddy said."

Foxy stood up and walked over to the rabbit. He placed his paw on his shoulder, gripping it tightly. "We don't be blaming ye for any of that, Bonnie. The kids' death…you both losing Fredbear and Spring…how could Chica and I blame thee?"

Bonnie felt a smile form on his face as he looked at the fox. He patted the pirate's back. "Thanks for saying that, man. It…it means a lot.

"Of course," Foxy smiled back.

Freddy let out a shaking sigh before looking over at Mike. "Mike…do you have anything you need to say?"

So much was going through Mike's mind as he let the story sink in. "The kids…I'm afraid I might know the answer already, but…what happened to their bodies?"

Freddy had prepared for that question long before he even reached this part of the story. He only took a quick breath before answering. "Mr. Fazbear and Daniel hid them…inside us. The strange weight I kept mentioning…that was…that was them…"

"They  _stuffed_  the kids' bodies inside your suits!? For what!?" Mike felt fury take over him as rolled his wheelchair back from the table. He had the biggest urge to punch his boss in the face. "So, they would be in the 'perfect' hiding spot until the police's investigation died down!?"

"Pretty much…" Bonnie answered. "No one ever found the bodies. Even when they started to…" Bonnie shuddered before speaking again. "Even when they started to rot away…Mr. Fazbear just blamed the smell on us being broken and kids stuffing pizza down our suits. All lies, obviously, but it worked.

"I can't believe this…and Daniel…it had to have been him! Wasn't it!? No! I don't even need to hear someone answer! I know that it was him! That monster!" Mike moved awkwardly around the room as if he were pacing back and forth. "Who could just  _kill_  kids like that!? What kind of monster would do such a thing!?" He looked over at Freddy. "But…how did he get away so easily!?"

"Remember when I told you in the story that Fredbear and Spring had special endoskeletons?"

"The…springlock suits?"

"Yes," Freddy confirmed. "They are large enough for a grown man to fit inside. All he had to do was put on Spring's suit and…" Freddy shrugged, letting Mike fill in the blanks.

"He could have easily lured them away because of how he was dressed. A kid wouldn't know the difference. Especially in the restaurant."

"Exactly. It was why Spring was covered in blood but didn't remember a thing." Freddy sighed. "I believe Daniel wore his suit and…well did the deed." He sighed. "I've told Shawn, the child possessing me, that so many times, but he is fully intended to do as Nick says. So even if I  _have_ convinced him, it doesn't matter. As long as Nick believes what he does, there is nothing I can say to Shawn to stop him."

"I see…" Mike looked down, thinking over everything. He then remembered the mystery of the last ghost child he hasn't figured out the location for. "Sammy…that was the name of the final child that was killed that night that I haven't really seen from one of you, right?"

"That is correct," Freddy confirmed. "I only know her name because she is Shawn's twin sister. He…he mentions her a lot to me at night when I have control of my body."

"Was she stuffed in Golden or Spring's suit by chance?"

"I believe it was Fredbear's suit she was placed into."

"Then…" Mike suddenly remembered that night he saw Fredbear in his office. That means…that was Sammy! He looked down confused. But she never hurt me, Mike thought, trying to process the new information. Why didn't she hurt me, but the other ghost kids want to hurt me? He let the silence fill up the room as he thought it over. It was only broken when there was a loud startled gasp.

"Oh no!" Chica called out, gaining their attention. They all looked at her to see she was staring at the clock. Due to the story and trying to think over everything, no one realized how close to midnight it was getting to. There were only ten minutes left!

"Shit! We should have been paying closer attention to the time!" Freddy quickly looked over at the Toys. "You guys, head to the basement, now!"

Fred stood up. "Got it. Come on, guys."

"I'm going too," Mike shouted, about to head out himself when Bonnie quickly stopped him.

"Wait! Mikey, just a second!" When he managed to stop the guard, he raised his hands up. "This won't take long." He ran to the stage, grabbed something Mike couldn't make out, and sprinted back. It was then the guard noticed the rabbit holding a crowbar.

"Um…what's this for?"

Bonnie handed it to the guard. "We want you to have this tonight. A weapon. Just in case one of us…" Bonnie didn't finish the sentence, but he knew the implications were clear.

Mike stared down at the weapon in his hands, studying it before he slowly shook his head. "No, no. I'm not going to hurt you guys."

"Mike, please!" Bonnie begged. "Look, we don't have time to debate this. Just keep that with you. Please!"

"But what if I do serious damage to you guys  _if_  I use it?" Mike questioned, trying to push the crowbar away. "I am not going to be responsible in hurting one of you guys!"

"Mike," Freddy walked over. "I know you don't like this, but Bonnie has a good point. After last night…well, we just can't afford you getting caught again. You got lucky last time. We can't risk you getting in danger again. At least with this weapon, you'll be a bit safer and maybe will have a chance to escape even."

"But Freddy-!"

"Mike, look…" Bonnie sighed. "Just hold onto it at least. Just having it by your side will be enough for me to at least pretend you'll use it in an emergency." Bonnie gripped Mike's arm tightly, desperate to show how strongly he felt about Mike having something to keep him safe. "Please, Mike. Just keep the crowbar in your office. That's all I ask."

Mike looked down at the weapon again before up at the clock. He sighed and reluctantly nodded. "Okay, I'll take it. But I am  _not_  going to hurt you guys!"

"Thank you," Bonnie sighed in relief, standing up and moving to the stage.

Freddy also sighed, lowering his head and resting his paws at his hips. "I know this isn't ideal, but I have to agree with Bonnie to a degree that it is a bit reassuring that you have something…just in case."

Mike didn't look like he agreed with that mentality, but he decided to keep quiet anyways. "I'm going to the office now."

"Okay, I'll talk to you in the morning." Freddy offered him a good luck smile before joining Bonnie and Chica on the stage.

When Mike made it to his office, he let out a tired groan, throwing his head back. He lifted the crowbar up to examine the cold rusting metal before scoffing at the object and tossing it to the side. He wasn't about to even consider using it to hurt the animatronics. He'll be better tonight. He'll be more focused and ready for whatever Nick and the other ghosts had to throw at him. He did notice the spare Freddy mask sitting by his monitor and was thankful for that at least. If the Toys did escape again, he would at least be ready this time.

Mike rubbed his eyes, letting his head rest for a moment more. He knew he should be preparing for the night, but after all he just learned…it was hard to focus. He let out a breath and sat up. "No, this will all have to wait until morning. For now, it's game time."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it. We finally get to learn more about the five other children, including our dear sweet Sammy, and yes, for those who do not know, Sammy is indeed the twin sister of the child possessing Freddy. I know I literally mentioned that in this chapter but I just wanted to clarify it all once more. A nice and very important detail for the story...in a way lol.
> 
> I really enjoyed this chapter despite the sadness in it. This was a scene I was really looking forward to rewriting. Even though I never really fully disliked how I wrote the same scene in my older version, there was always something about it I did not like. This version I think I nailed a lot better. Plus, for those who do not know, the old version had a lot of the flashback in the point of view of Fredbear, and I never liked that part only because after I wrote it I remembered that Freddy (and Bonnie) is telling the story and there would be no way he would know how Fredbear and Spring were deactivated before the children's death.
> 
> Also I never ever added the parents of the children in the old version, which I always saw as a big plot hole I added in without realizing, so now we get to see from them finally. I'm going to add them in a bit more, but hopefully, no one will be disappointed that the parents won't really end up being a major importance to the story. They just get more moments here and there which they do deserve. Though, I will hint at one big event that never happened in the old version that does involve at least one of the children's family that will play a minor part. I'm not going to lie, I do not know if I will fit it in this particular story or the second story of this trilogy, but something big is a coming related to one of the ghost children's family. I just won't say who ;3
> 
> Okay, rambling over! Man, I promised myself I wouldn't ramble so much for this rewrite like I did in the past, and yet here I am doing it again. lol. See you all next week! Please don't forget to comment and leave a kudos if you haven't. :3


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